Hi, I’m Claire, a contemporary abstract artist from Bishops Stortford.

I originally studied art in the 1990s, exploring everything from fine art and life drawing to ceramics, textiles and printmaking, before specialising in graphic design and going on to work as a magazine art editor.

After having children, my career took a few different turns and eventually led me into the fitness industry. It wasn’t until I picked up a paintbrush again that I realised quite how much I’d missed being creative.

Painting is my peace. It gives my busy brain somewhere to go quiet and allows me to completely lose myself in the process of making.

My work is intuitive and instinctive. I love exploring mark-making, texture. collage and, above all, colour. I struggle to stay within the same palette for any real length of time – I’m far too driven by my mood and what feels right in that moment.

I think my design background still shows up in my instinct for composition, balance and space, but painting gives me the freedom to step away from structure and follow feeling instead.

The work that emerges is layered, expressive and constantly changing – sometimes energetic, sometimes calm, sometimes a little chaotic. Much like me, really.