A pair of old sneakers dangling from a telephone wire, suspended above a concrete parking lot. This scene may seem a bit mundane to be brought to life through art.

But for painter Brian Forrest, it’s a muse. Conveyed on a canvas, the scene becomes an expressionist’s view of a yellow building, sandwiched between two textured blue planes – the light-colored sky above and the dark parking lot below.

Forrest took a picture of this image of Northeast 16th Street near Bel-Red Road before painting it.

“Mary Pat Byrne, city art specialist, recognized exactly where it was because of the shoes,” Forrest said.

This piece, and 13 others, are part of an exhibition called “The Bel-Red Paintings,” an Expressionist’s View, on display at the Marketplace at Factoria Aug. 13 – Sept. 23.

“When an expressionist paints, they put their personality into it,” said Forrest, who’s known for his colorful work and impasto painting. “The paint brings up more emotions than a realistic image might.”

Forrest points to van Gogh as an example of this style.

The Bellevue artist’s paintings are of cityscapes and landscapes in Bel-Red, the 900-acre area east of downtown Bellevue characterized by low-rise retail and light industrial businesses.

When people come to the Marketplace, the paintings will be on a large wall by Panera Bread, right across from the sitting area.

Forrest said he thinks people will see his joy and affinity for the locale, mystery, and occasionally humor – such as the dangling shoes.

“They’re going to see the Bel-Red area from a different angle,” he said.

For more information, go to http://brianforrest-art.blogspot.com/.