Born July 3, 1939 in Oklahoma, Bart Forbes cites his youth in an Air Force family as inspiration for his artistic endeavors. Because he and his family had to relocate frequently, Forbes was exposed to a wide array of visual and geographical subjects that he captures in his drawings. He attended the University of North Carolina before continuing his formal art education at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Originally drawn to a career in illustrating, his work often portrayed specific places and times. On the other hand, his more recent gallery paintings don’t necessarily include the specific nature of his early work. Using this medium as a vehicle for experimentation with texture and color, Forbes describes his work as “traditional realism” with a leaning toward the textures and abstract relationships underlying his work. He explains, “I like to think that the paintings are more mood oriented and invite a greater intuitive and emotional response from the viewer than anything I have done in the past.”

Both his gallery paintings and his illustrations have been received remarkably well and Forbes’ collectors include private and corporate collections, among which are NBC, Pepsi-Cola, Exxon, the NFL, Tiger Woods, and former President George H. W. Bush. He has also been commissioned for PGA tournaments, the Boston Marathon, the Kentucky Derby, and the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games. Forbes has even designed 19 postage stamps for the USPS and a number of coins for the U. S. Mint. His work is collected world-wide by people and companies at all levels of social and economic standing.