Color as Language

Forrest Elliot and Rebecca Klementovich's works convey emotional resonance, joy, and optimism, inviting audiences to experience color as a communicative and transformative force.

Together alongside the exhibits of Kristy Cavaretta and Alicia Ethridge, as well as Corwin Levi, the Gallery will be a rich, interactive space for reflection, play, and imaginative exploration, where visitors can navigate personal and collective experiences through art. From the soaring birds of memory to collaborative murals, from life paths reimagined through games to color as a language of emotion and connection, we'll celebrate human experience, creativity, and the power of participation.

These works by Seacoast-based artists Forrest Elliott and Rebecca Klementovich explore the interplay between vibrant colors and subtle neutrals as the cornerstone of their artistic approach. Abstract use of color enables them to translate the essence of the contemporary world onto a two-dimensional canvas, cultivating striking contrasts. Subdued, grounded neutrals enhance the impact of lively bursts of extroverted colors.

In a time marked by social and cultural tension, the work reminds us of the joy, beauty, and emotional resonance that art offers. Through bold palettes and intuitive expression, Color as Language invites viewers to reconnect with the value of creative exploration as both a personal and communal source of healing and reflection.

Forrest and Rebecca first connected through online art communities, drawn together by a shared passion for bold color—especially their mutual love of pink—which sparked a creative dialogue that continues to evolve.

Forrest Elliott is an international contemporary painter and mixed-media artist based in York, Maine. His practice explores color, form, and intuitive mark-making through painting, encaustic, found materials, and photography—creating work that invites quiet contemplation and emotional resonance.

Forrest's work is guided by what he calls the "golden thread"—a consistent weaving of color, shape, and gesture that connects his evolving body of work across mediums and scales. Whether creating large canvases, works on paper, or intimate encaustic pieces, his process is rooted in presence, allowing each work to authentically reflect his current creative season.

His work is represented by leading galleries throughout New England and held in private collections across the United States, Australia, and Asia. Recent acquisitions include the University of New Hampshire's Hamel Honors and Scholars College. His work has been featured in Studio Visit Magazine Issue 53 (Boston, MA), Apartment Therapy, and Maine Homes by Down East.

Forrest's practice is grounded in the belief that art and life are deeply interconnected—a commitment to presence that shapes both his studio work and broader creative ventures.

Rebecca Klementovich's paintings and drawings leverage nostalgia from natural subjects such as flowers, mountains, colonial buildings, and seascapes– all with a sharp, contemporary edge.

Her recent artistic focus is on houses floating away due to climate change alongside work that exhibits humanity in high-keyed colors and neutrals. These contrasting ideas bring out the energy and complexities of our natural modern world.

Rebecca’s work presents a fantastic tension, moving in between abstract and semi-landscapes. Using unusual color combinations in her work, her figure paintings and drawings allude to complex relationships and dynamics– sometimes haunting, sometimes intimate, always in 17th or 18th century style.

Graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology NYC, she specialized in fashion illustration as a fashion art director for 22 years in the city. Her art career developed her love of color and strong design which translate into her work.

She lived in the Mount Washington area of NH for many years and now resides in Portsmouth. The mountains and their foliage continue to inspire a sentimentality and lyrical style in her landscapes, along with Fauvism. Natural subjects, human connection, and vibrant colors offer both the artist and viewer a retreat to an enduring place of beauty.

Forrest Elliot and Rebecca Klementovich

Artist Statement

Artist Bio

Forrest Elliot (Portsmouth, NH)

Rebecca Klementovich (Somersworth, NH)

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