LOCAL ARTIST BETH FORST FINDS HOPE & HEALING
Writer / Ashley Dykton
The comeback will be bigger than the setback for local artist Beth Forst, who recently had her in-home art studio and her extensive art inventory destroyed by the recent flooding of the White River that has wreaked havoc on Hamilton County.
Beth Forst is a local Noblesville professional artist with experience in different art mediums but works predominantly in oils and painting outdoor scenes. For more than 30 years, inspired by her curiosity, Forst has found the beauty in the world around her by creating “feel good” art that has been showcased all over the country and featured in festivals that have earned her top recognition and awards, including the 2011 Mayor’s Award at Indianapolis’ acclaimed Penrod Art Festival.
“It’s a beautiful world,” says Forst, a self-proclaimed “beauty seeker” who is an impressionist painter who loves to set up her paints outside, where she enjoys finding beauty in things and nature.
“Joie de Vivre is French, which means joy of life and joy of living. It’s always been my mantra. I just love to be happy and put happy things around me. It doesn’t shield you from the unhappy, but I know I can go in my studio and make beautiful things and share them with people, and that makes me
happy,” says Forst.
Unfortunately, the recent flooding decimated Forst’s lower-level, in-home art studio and her art inventory.
“It all ended up in the front yard. It happened so quickly, and I was in disbelief, like why is this happening. My basement held all of the storage of my artwork as well as all my paints and easels. I’ve been working in watercolors and paper, and all of that was just underwater very quickly. We were pulling the big paintings out of the basement as fast as we could, and we did pretty good very quickly, but there were things that were lost,” says Forst.
And right now, Forst is having an art sale where she has a portion of her original artwork discounted on her website, where the proceeds will help aid her in her flood damage repair and recovery relief.
Forst’s website, bethforst.com, is the best place where people can directly support Forst in her relief efforts by purchasing her original art pieces.
Forst is very thankful for people’s support during this trying time. “I am very appreciative that people want to help me out, and I am quite thankful for that,” says Forst.
Forst would love to eventually own her own gallery space, but right now some of her art can be found at the Shieling Gallery located at 27 E. Main St. in Carmel and at the J Petter Gallery in Douglas, Michigan.
Even though this was a traumatic experience for Forst, it has put into perspective what is really important, and that being a helping hand in the community and offering support is more important than tangible things lost from the flood.
“I don’t think you really know how you’re going to react when a trauma occurs, so you just have to work through it. You really don’t own anything in this world. Things come and go, and you don’t own anything except your heart and spirit. There are many out there that are having a tough time with this, and I’m very empathetic. Life seems to be tough these days, and there’s been such a huge outpouring of help in my neighborhood. I just love all of the community support, and it makes me feel good serving and helping others as well,” says Forst.
To view Forst’s artwork and to learn more about her flood recovery and relief sale, visit her website at bethforst.com.
