Art imitates nature at the Botanical Garden

The Best is Yet to Come By Anna Norris, Chapel Hill Magazine, September/October , 2011

Although he has always loved art, Forrest Greenslade says that his right brain – considered to be the creative and innovated side – has aleays been a little suppressed. Educated as a molecular biologist, Greenslade intended to spend his retirement writing books and lecturing. But a massive heart attack ended what had become a stressful lifestyle. New inspiration began to strike after his wife took him on a private tour at Fearrington. Coming home for lunch with images of Zen Palkowski’s wood sculpture still in his head, Greenslade turned on the TV to find Martha Stewart creating a pot of concrete.
“”I didn’t even finish my sandwich – I went to the potting shed, and I threw some peat moss and concrete together and put it on some chicken wire, and I looked up at it and someone was looking back at me.
Today, Greenslade is known for his nature-based sculpture and acrylic and relief paintings, often enhanced with any number of materials, such as clay, concrete, metal and wood.
“This is clearly the best part of my life,” says Greenslade. “When I wake up in the morning – I cannot wait to get to my studio.”

Greenslade is just one of the Fearrington artists who will exhibit works at Art in the Village on October 9th at the Village Center. See: http://fearringtonartists.blogspot.com/2011/09/art-in-village-fearrington-village.html

Caption: Fearrington artist Forrest Greenslade with his metal and concrete sculpture, “Horus – Guardian of the Garden” Photo by Briana Brough, Chapel Hill Magazine