Miguel

BIOGRAPHY OF MIGUEL FORBUS

I know this sounds like a blues song, but I was born in the farming area of Mississippi and the first part of my childhood was spent partially on my Grandparents farm. My grandmother was a great truck patch tender and grew flowers all over the property. In my thirties I took up a love for organic agriculture and began to grow baby lettuces, edible flowers and culinary herbs. Before the farm phase of my life I was an Executive Chef in California and traveled in between projects. I lived in Mexico and Central America and visited Hawaii and other botanical wondrous areas where my eye for natural art was honed. As a younger man I took photographs and since I began to use Digital photography I have been slightly obsessed.

The orchids came into play as something I grew on the farm and I began to photograph them as my main subject a few years ago. My main career up until a few years ago was as a Cross-Cultural Chef, food stylist and sometimes owner manager of restaurants.

The type of work I do now is a style I invented using high megapixel cameras, Photoshop CS 2 (photographic software along with 5 or 6 other brands of software for photography), and a Wacom Tablet, which allows me to use a plenum as a brush, pen or pencil. This tablet has gigs of memory allocated to it which allows me to use close to 1000 brush combinations, all the colors available, (1000’s,) and an unbelievable amount of filters. The multitudes of possible avenues are endless. This freedom as an artist is only measured by my imagination. I am also writing a teaching program as a tutorial using these combinations along with the Museum quality printing that I do in my studio. At some point I am interested in publishing the work as a guide to other interested photographers and artists.

I still have a bag of digital tricks and software I am just beginning to use that will take Paintography up to another plane. The next phase of my work will have me using some celestial manipulation to make the orchids heavenly in nature.

It took some time for me to conceptualize the method I use and even longer to explain to people what it is I do, and it was quite difficult for me to sum it up quickly without pontificating, so I came up with the name Paintography and that sums it up in a word. Photographs taken to a painterly level. The adventure of using so much variety in one print has captured me and I am anxious to see where this learning curve will take me, but the fun is limitless, as are the possibilities.

Miguel Forbus

EMAIL
PHONE
STUDIO 772 567 1302
CELLULAR 772 532 7179

WEB SITE

Creativity is a gift that can be cultivated like a beautiful tomato. Warm and juicy and eaten off the vine. Always please the muse with sincere work or she will desert you. An artist empty of inspiration is a dry gourd.

I believe in using the best materials for your photographs. The paper I use is top quality art paper mostly from Epson, Ultrachrome ink, (which has a 100 year fade gurantee) It is tuxedo matted in a creamy white mat that is museum quality and acid-free. They are signed and numbered, in gold an limited to 30 prints and at that point I retire the original for my own collection. They are safely shipped, guranteed, in an acid-free cellophane sleeve by one of the major shipping companies with insurance. All work guranteed to be loved. If you have a consideration about paper, email me and I can go over the choices with you. There are other sizes available, 8.5 by 11 up to 44 inches. Each photograph is printed when you order it, matted, protected in acid free cellophane and shipped the next day in a wellk constructed box. You can also order any print in giclee on canvas, just email me for the price. They can be shipped either mounted or not, according to price and agreement.

You will be very happy and amazed at the clarity of color and the detail of the photographs. I have never had a customer who wasn't ecstatic with the results.
All guranteed. Paypal will be coming soon.

I believe in making special art for special people. It is my heartfelt work to make a happy image in your home.

I hve been invlolved in many photography exhibits, particularly at the Beanie Backus studio, a famous Florida landscape artist and have donated many pieces to various charities for auction. Most of my work is done for private individuals.

Many solo exhibitions for the American Orchid society and other Orchid organizations

I am fortunate enough to have the means to build myself a new studio. Just big enough. Large windows, i big door, big air conditioner, pet birds in a jungle around me, loving Chinese dogs, a sweet Persian cat, lots of flowers, (roses) and an ice cold pool to dive in when I get lethargic and no need for a job. So my workshop is exactly as i would have it and I begin to teach college students the work of Paintography that I invented next fall. The gods have been good to me. I shall return the favor. I have all the gadgetry I need, lots of easels to move from one medium to the other, a few hi tech computers, Wacom tablet, software spilling out everywhere and lots of solitude. The soundtrack is jungle like, with Cajun music, Cuban and Latino, old Jazz, Irish music and some odd World beat. Great backdrop. Please do yourself a favor, keep your space organized and work on many things at once. Boredom is the enemy of the artist.

It is one I will strive for. My work is mostly collected by orchid growers and affecionados and it is the main thrust of my business with art.