Tom Forrestall of Middleton, Nova Scotia, at the age of 88, an artist from Nova Scotia who was a part of a resurgent interest in realist painting during the 1960s, has passed away. He was a recipient of critical praise at that time period. Ray Cronin, a writer and curator, referred to Forrestall as “an artist’s artist.” Forrestall’s work is included in significant public and private collections across the continents of North America and Europe.
On March 11, 1936, Forrestall was born in what is now known as Middleton, Nova Scotia, which was formerly known as Annapolis Valley. His family was Roman Catholic, and he was one of four children in the family. During his childhood, he was diagnosed with epilepsy, and around the age of seven, he started experiencing seizures. Forrestall’s father, a carpenter, was working in the construction of a new hospital in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, from 1942 to 1951. During that time, the family resided in Dartmouth where the hospital was being built. Over the course of this time period, he took part in art lessons that were taught by students from the Nova Scotia College of Art. During his time at Middleton High School, where he continued to draw and paint, Forrestall continued his artistic pursuits.
In 1954, Forrestall enrolled at Mount Allison University after being granted a scholarship to pursue a degree in art. Lawren P. Harris, who was the chairman of the Fine Arts department, Ted Pulford, who taught watercolor painting, and Alex Colville were his studio teachers. The medium of egg tempera, which he has specialized in since the 1960s, was introduced to him by Colville. When asked about Forrestall, Colville referred to him as “the most promising artist our school has produced in a decade.”121: When Forrestall received his diploma in 1958, he was eligible to receive a grant from the Canada Council, which enabled him to travel around Europ
