How did you evolve into a painter?
I started off working as a graphic design in a mobile app shop, in Montreal. When it got bought up by a large company, I got shifted around to the marketing department, and after a year or so, I got laid off.
Just before I was laid off, two very good things happened to me. The first, was that the company that I worked for had been kind enough to let me take 4 weeks off in a row, so that I could attend an artist residency that I had gotten a grant for. In return, I agreed to give them a special price for a series of paintings, in order to cover the walls of one of their new offices (where I happened to be working). Yessss.
The second good thing that happened to me, was that a week or so before this happened, I received a visit from a number of buyers from Anthropologie. They had expressed great enthusiasm for my art work, and I knew I would have to be making a decision, insofar as the direction of my art went. I was leaning toward my art, but was reluctant to leave the security of a regular paycheque.
I suppose you could say that I had a third very good thing happen to me: I received a package settlement from the company I worked for (a windfall, as far as I was concerned!).
I was happy, and my art career was launched in full capacity.
What has your experience selling your work on Saatchi Online been like so far?
My Saatchi Online experience has been great… and virtually effortless, insofar as making sales goes. The fact that they fill out all the paperwork (customs, duties, etc), makes my life very easy. I just have to paint and package my art. Anyone who has tried shipping, especially across borders, knows how complicated all the paperwork can be!
When starting a new painting, which do you start off with form or color or is it more of a back and forth process?
I paint colorful forms on my canvas, usually, so I guess the answer to that would be “both”.
"Imagine" is available for sale for $900.00 at Saatchi Online
Favorite material to work with?
Acrylics, mostly.
What themes do you pursue?
Abstract all the way! If something starts to look figurative, I usually try to undo it! Colour, of course, is a very important theme. I enjoy the way colour can create a reaction in people, including me.
How many years as an artist?
I have painted all my life, but as a full-time career, it’s only been since August 2011. The years preceding that, however, I was painting (and selling my work), but only a day or so, per week.
Most important tool you use? Colour. Can that be considered a tool? I find it very exciting, and I love to create that sort of tension on a surface. My second most important tool: my eyes!
Where is your studio? My studio is located in an old industrial part of Montreal, near the old canal. The building I’m in is an old Simmons mattress factory, and you can really feel the ghosts of the past when you walk down the long, wide, hardwood floor hallways. There are large freight elevators at every turn, and big, bright windows. The complex is now houses many other artist studios (apparently, a whopping 45% of this massive old building is artist studios). My studio faces an industrial parking lot, but it is shrouded by poplar trees, so I can pretend to be in the woods. It can get a bit noisy here, at times, but that’s part of this place’s gritty charm.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Do your art, but don’t forget to market it, afterwards. If you don’t tell people, nobody will know it exists
Process> Concept or Process<Concept?Really, a bit of both, most of the time.
Why do you make art? It makes me happy. It’s the only thing that I can do that I can truly lose myself in. I can start something (or several pieces), and before I know it, hours have passed by.
Art school or self-taught? My mother was the single most important influence in my art career. She was an art teacher at my elementary school. Besides that, she taught me the art of life and survival.
Favorite font? Helvetica.
Prefer to work with music or in silence? I like to listen to good talk radio. It’s like listening in on a good conversation.
What’s around the corner from your place? Atwater Market. It used to be a farmers’ market, but now houses a sushi bar (do real farmers’ markets have sushi bars?). Still, they have a fabulous bakery, butchers, and other vendors (can you say cheese?). Yum.
Favorite sound? The key turning in my front door (my boyfriend’s home!).
Favorite smell? Freshly ground coffee.
Where can we find you outside the studio? On my bicycle.
What could you not do without? Salad made with Boston lettuce.
If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? Graphic design.
Day job? I’m a full time artist.
Food or Sleep? Sleep, I can never get enough.
Greatest achievement? I’m pretty proud that Urban Outfitters sells my art under their Anthropologie banner. It was a major coup for my career. That, and being represented by Muse Gallery, in Toronto!
"Did Anyone Walk the Dog?" is available for sale for $1,080.00 at Saatchi Online.
Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? I’m a pretty practical girl: I’d rather make a living doing what makes me happy, living in the present
Were you popular in high school? Not particularly. But I don’t think I was all that unpopular, either. I was just never that “cool girl”.
Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? I’ve already seen my art on a t-shirt, so I guess a billboard would be more exciting.
Astrology or astronomy? Astrology. It’s easy entertainment.
Would you ever figure model naked? No way, I don’t have that kind of confidence!
Religion or pop culture? Pop culture.
Traditional or conceptual? I’ve always wanted to say that I’m conceptual, but really, I think I fall most comfortably into the “traditional” category.
What do you collect? Fossils.
Favorite contemporary artist? I don’t have just one fave. There are several: Franz Kline, Emily Mason, Mark Rothko. There’s also this Moroccan guy whose art I’ve been following, off and on for the past few years: Yassine “Yaze” Mekhnache. His work is awesome.
A piece of art you love? So many of them. Helen Frankenthaler’s “Causeway” always takes my breath away.
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be? Only one? Seriously? I think you have to have a piece of art for every mood, so I cannot imagine just having one single piece.
Use anything other than paint? Sometimes I paste things only my canvases. I haven’t done so lately, but I’m due.
Photo references? Hmmm. I guess so. I sometimes like to check out Pinterest. I have added a bunch of paintings to a pin board that I’ve called “My Inspiration”. When I get stuck, I sometimes look there. I’ve collected so many beautiful pieces into one place, and it’s hard for me to leave that, and not be inspired again.
Is painting dead? Not at all.
Favorite brush?Big, fat, el cheap-O brushes from the hardware store.
What do you wear while you paint? A smile.
Why do people ask Painters ” is Painting Dead ?”, just the fact that they are interviewing the Artist is proof that Painting will never die( in my twisted mind ).
To me it is like asking is ” Music dead? “I think that ART WILL DIE WHEN WE DO!!
Creating is ingrained in our sub-conscious and is like thinking, it is something we MUST DO….just imagine what we can do if we put our minds to it….the results are infinite…….peace…p.s. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS.
Thank you for posting this article, it’s great to see anyone create. The main thing is to create, although I’m not so sure with many new abstract artists now, where they are coming from?
Perhaps I feel to be abstract you need to develop through stages of art, you can not short cut to the abstract.
So sometimes the final abstract work can be quite a quick process, but the thought process can take months to arrive at the result. DeKooning had the right idea.
Great article! I’m happy to consider Claire a good friend as well. I’ve been an unconditional fan since I’ve known her and I proudly house 4 of her paintings at my place. If only I had more walls!
Love your use of color and your loose, expressive approach to painting. I also checked out Emily Mason and Yassine Mekhnache, and see how your work resonates with theirs. Your path to painting was very interesting to read about, too. Wishing you all the best!
I started following Claire’s extraordinary style of painting, through facebook! I first became aware of her paintings via this social media..and have been supporting her posts for over a year now..I think social media provides so many creators a chance to let others know of their work , without the usual snob/to good to be true types and factors that go with mainstream promotional channels in the art world – great to see Saatchi offering such great exposure -
Claire your work is gorgeous and I loved reading this ‘spotlight’….very inspiring!!
The innate problem with total abstraction is that it is all beggining to look the same, no matter how pretentious the title or journey. Also, people purchase it because it fits with their decor, any meaning behind the work is lost to adornment. Everyone and their dog believes they can do it(including non artists) the original famous artists who contributed towards the invention of abstraction, are the only people in my view, that have any credance, everyone else is kind of on a gravey boat. if everything is minimalised and deconstructed there is only one thing left and thats a blank canvas.
Great article. I love having a peek inside people’s lives through their studios. Until recently I lived in Vancouver and enjoyed going to various studio tours – Vancouver East Culture Crawl and The Drift. I’m very attracted to all the bright colours in Claire’s work and enjoy seeing posting of her new works.
Wow. Great interview, I love Claire’s use of colour… Her work is so bold and brave.
I just read all the above comments… Most interesting thoughts to ponder in some of them, and many kind things said about my art. Thank you. I’m so flattered to have been interviewed by Saatchi Online, and really appreciate it!
Love your work! really beautiful & inspiring
Art is all about freedom to do what you love and get paid for it. Congrats on finding that.
The comment by John Hogan hit the nail on the head. Well done John for saying what you think. The artist’s canvases are elementary school, as she herself hinted, and reflect a vacuous rigor, and little understanding of abstraction. Look at the great abstraction painters from the past, and learn from them. See the power and trauma that resonates from their work – work of the blood and the soul. What is art without blood, sweat, or soul? It is dead. Pretty pinks are very pretty. Look at the light and depth of Rothko. Many of his paintings have the drama of a double decker bus packed with people racing towards a precipice. Why has so much art become a kindergaten Sunday school outing? Who is selecting it to be shown to the world? Too many artists today, very little ART.
great decoration for dentist office it remind you : keep you ass and teeth
cline
J’aime bien ce que vous faites,madame,ça entre dans mes cordes d’artiste.
When you knock on the door of art its never in! I cant remember which philosifer said that but i found it to be painfully true. wish they had a spell check on here.
Beautiful Artwork, Claire, I love the colors, and I like your Workplace, your Workshop or Your Atelier. I am from Timisoara-Romanie , and I work with color, but not painting, I do natural fiber sculpture. (www.artreview.com) or on (www.facebook.com/ioanmarcu1). Have a great week.IOAN MARCU (ioanmarcu@live.com).
Salut….
(L’art est l’oxygène de la vie et les couleurs sont les vagues …., art et le dessin … et de la voile, et de la créativité, et l’artiste est l’ambassadeur de la signification et la beauté)
Avec tout le respect qui vous est dû et d’apprécier la
Permettez-moi de me présenter, je suis un artiste et sculpteur, un jeune self-made … J’ai appris dans les livres et revues d’art, d’art et les pratiques quotidiennes … Je suis à la recherche et complété mes études institut d’art de la peinture et la décoration Le développement de mon talent, et après 29 ans d’expérience et de nombreuses pièces d’expositions d’art, peinture sur soie, sable, ornements, et la ligne, et je veux travailler dans le domaine de l’art et j’ai terminé mes études d’art, et demander de l’aide … Je vais continuer à rêver parce que la vie ya de l’espoir … J’envoie à des institutions et des associations à participer à des expositions d’art, je suis à la recherche d’une occasion de montrer mon talent et techniques de l’art et la créativité n’a pas de patrie, et vous êtes en attente pour la réponse et a eu le plaisir de
Meilleures salutations et meilleurs vœux…
e-mail: berrichisassi21@gmail.Com
Great article! – Loving the mess the colour and the expression.
HI CLAIRE!…
I really enjoyed reading about you and the way destiny lead you to a happier life! I could see me in your words! In fact almost the same thing has happened to me exactly last year..
After some years working for a web agency, I decided to start as a professional painter. I have been painting for 10 years or so.. and, as you, only in my spare time. Now that things are going well -dedicating almost my full time to this passion- I am thinking to get a proper SPACE where I can full immerse my self in my works. In Italy things are not good at all in many senses nowadays and this would be an effort and sacrifice for me…but after viewing your fantastic pics of your studio.. I am CONVINCED! It’s what I need to make a further step! I hope we’ll meet somehow one day. Good luck in every sense! baci, IDA
Hi Claire, I’m so happy for you. You deserved all that you got. I wonder if I can sell the dressing room at the old store, claim I did it, and make a purse out of it. Good for you. Don’t forget the little people. Can you pitch a line of treasure coin purses and cut me in? All the Best
Hi Claire:
I am glad to have found out about u and your art!
I am a Painter/Photographer IN USA.
All the Best
Christopher Kuhl