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Patricia Tobacco Forrester stands out as an artist who bridged the gap between the natural world and the human spirit. Her affinity for nature began at a young age, growing up on a small farm in Western Massachusetts. She painted almost exclusively outdoors (en plein air), finding inspiration in neighborhood parks and gardens — mostly in D.C. where she lived for 30 years.
Forrester's career gained traction during the 1970s, at a time when watercolor was associated with small, intimate works. She shattered these conventions by creating expansive, large-scale works in watercolor — this one, for example, is 61 x 81 inches — that immerse the viewer. She dove into each scene with little to no preparatory sketching, allowing her pieces to evolve naturally. When choosing a location to paint, she focused on areas with a dramatic interplay of light with surrounding trees and vegetation. Unconcerned with realistic depictions, she enjoyed inconsistencies and distortions in her work. As a result, her works are largely a personal reaction to her surroundings. She often described her paintings as abstract and enjoyed the “accidental nature of watercolor” as a medium. Considering the size and complexity of her images and the fact that they are painted outdoors with a medium greatly affected by the nature of the weather, they are a technical feat.