A person wearing a beige knit hat and dark jacket stands outdoors under a bright sky with scattered clouds, with a person in a blue jacket and gloves writing or drawing in a notebook or sketchpad placed on a flat surface, possibly a clipboard or table, with dried grass and snow nearby.

Meet the Artist

Christabel Forbes is a British-French colourist artist whose work explores the emotional interplay between people and place through vibrant, imaginative landscapes drawn from life and memory. Born in Courbevoie, France in 1991 to French and British parents, she studied Fine Art at Falmouth University, trained on the Drawing Year at the Royal Drawing School, and completed an MA in Fine Art at the City and Guilds of London Art School.

Christabel’s practice is rooted in direct observation, using drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed-media techniques to reveal the extraordinary within everyday environments. Her work reflects a playful spontaneity and rich use of colour, informed by international residencies in Kenya, India, Tuscany, and the UK.

Alongside her studio practice in Berkshire, Christabel maintains an active teaching practice, including at West Dean College and Coombe Farm Studios, supporting students in developing strong observational skills and individual artistic voices. She also undertakes bespoke commissions, working closely with clients to create paintings that capture personal connections to meaningful places.

Education

2022-24 - City and Guilds of London Art School, (MA) Fine Art
2014-15 - Royal Drawing School, The Drawing Year (MA level)
2013 - Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, Erasmus 
2011-14 - Falmouth University, (BA) Hon Fine Art 

A woman sitting on a stool in front of a large, colorful abstract mural, holding a palette and paintbrush, smiling at the camera.

Exhibitions

My solo shows focus on the dialogue between memory and location, investigating how movement through different landscapes informs artistic practice. Participation in curated group exhibitions highlights my engagement with current conversations in contemporary art. Attend an exhibition

Residencies

International residencies form the core of my artistic practice, taking me from Scottish heritage sites and Devon forests to Tuscan hills, Provençal markets, and Kenyan wildlife corridors. These intensive periods of observation and cultural immersion—through institutional programs and independent exchanges—fundamentally reshape how I see and interpret landscape, creating new visual languages that continue influencing my studio work years after each journey ends. Read the stories of my art

Training & Workshops

Teaching forms an essential part of my practice, spanning institutions from the Royal Drawing School to West Dean College and extending internationally to programs in India. Through workshops, private tuition, and institutional partnerships, I guide students in developing observational skills and personal artistic voice while continuously enriching my own understanding of how art connects us to place and environment. Train with me