“My painting and design is a celebration of colour and pattern. I love ornament and design in both natural and man made objects. With a background in printed textiles I find myself most often drawn to flat, graphic pattern as a backdrop for flowers and domestic ceramics.
I love to create still life paintings that either blend a harmonious colour palette or contrast with a vibrant ‘pop’ of colour and these paintings feed my inspiration and ideas for surface pattern designs.”
About Claire and her work
Claire is a painter and surface pattern designer and blogger based in Birmingham, West Midlands, England.
Recent years have seen Claire’s work winning a national painting prize and ever increasing interest from local galleries including the RBSA, The Purple Gallery and The Mulberry Tree – which regularly exhibit and sell her work.
Claire was born in London and in 1991 graduated in Fashion and Textile Design – specialising in Printed Textiles.
As a child growing up in London, Claire was never happier than when painting or sewing. Many a doll or teddy bear had new clothes or knitwear; she even redesigned the Grattan catalogue painting models and outfits and using a typewriter to add descriptions and prices!
As a teenager working part-time in a local art shop she experimented with new materials and then began her formal art training in 1997 with a Foundation Course at Middlesex Polytechnic. It was there that Claire discovered printing and pattern design and by the end of that year had secured a place at Birmingham Polytechnic to study Fashion and Textile Design.
Claire cites her key artistic influences as Kaffe Fassett, Jean Martin, Winifred Nicholson, Jenny Wheately, Frida Khalo, Mary Fedden, Anita Klein, PipStudio, Francis Boag, Caroline Bailey, Brie Harrison, Anthropologie and Designer Guild.
Claire’s blog – PaintdropsKeepFalling – is gathering an enthusiastic following and she loves to hear from anyone who shares her passions and appreciates her work.