Graphic design: studioclaire.com

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Claire

“This space is quiet, and needs to be filled with people, noise”. And so started my brightly coloured painting, in an otherwise silent artist residence, in a sleepy town in northern Vermont. It feels like I’m surrounded by nuns and monks, always hushed, always rushing past me, in the hallway, whispered helloes over the shuffle of hurried feet.
 

Posted in Abstract, Art residency, Artist residency, My artwork, Painting, Visual Conversations| Leave a comment

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Claire

There’s a delicious freedom found, when one stops worrying about what others think. Worried concerns expressed in order to save the unsuspecting, can hinder progress and extinguish the spark… So, just go for it, and don’t look back. You’ll get so much more done, and the results will be fresher!
 

Posted in Abstract, Bold series, My artwork, Painting| Leave a comment

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Claire

My painting, “Supersize“, was a labour of love, me hours upon intensive hours to create. I had the luxury of time on my side, as I spent the entire month of February in residency at the artist retreat, Vermont Studio Center, along with about 50 or so other artists, who we all there, like me, to squeeze out the juices of their various forms of creativity. Just being there made me want to push my creative limits: my studio was located on a picturesque bend in the river that winds its way through the small, New England village. Our meals were prepared for us, three times a day (fabulous organic meals, locally sourced, whenever possible). Our sole concern, as artists, was to produce. Soft white snow made the setting perfect for relaxing, and getting focussed. And so, the fruits of my labour evolved, without distraction.
 

Working on such a large piece was most liberating, though at times, it became demanding, both physically and mentally. I laboured over it from early morning until late at night (wee hours of the morning), starting with it on the wall, where I painted broad brush strokes, and put in some background colour. Then, as the painting evolved, I moved it to the floor, where I poured each drop, saturated puddle by puddle, one at a time, layer upon layer, to create a fizzy sensation for the viewer, when standing in front of the work. I used thick blends of mostly pure colours, mixed with various polymer mediums, in order to create a plastic feeling, and one that makes you want to run your hand over the smoothe lumps and bumps that it caused across the giant sheet of canvas. Thick texture is very important to me, as is the shininess, and of course, the overall massive size.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Abstract, Art residency, Artist residency, My artwork, Painting, Slice of Life series| Leave a comment

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Claire

I’m a practiced procrastinator, but not a terrible one. I will put off to later on, what I don’t wish to do right at this moment. Life generously offers me a tantalizing selection of distractions to ensure that I don’t break this habit. One example, is doing my taxes. I know they must get done, but I won’t touch them until the last minute, lest I miss out on delighting my senses with painting, and perhaps some dark chocolate… Or perhaps a brisk walk on a lovely, sunny day?
 

Most of this painting was worked on while in an artist residency, at the Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson Vermont. I was inspired by the beauty of the place, and the nostalgia of having spent much of my childhood in a nearby village… Beautiful Vermont!

Posted in Abstract, Art residency, Artist residency, My artwork, Painting, Visual Conversations, Wood panel| Leave a comment