Artist Statement
My paintings celebrate nature, light, colors, and everything lit under the bright blue sky. I’m drawn to undulating hills and mountains, the Bay or ocean peeking through or hugging the land, and vibrant plant life tucked away in the urban landscape. As I go on walks and hikes, I look around for sceneries that capture my attention, calling for me to trek back with the right size canvas, easel, my paints and supplies.
I’m dedicated to plein air or outdoor painting for two main reasons:
Firstly, plein air painting is a way of reconnecting with nature and my surrounding environment. In this tech focused time and place, I see people becoming physically and emotionally detached from nature and humanity. Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours in front of a screen, and rarely take the time to actively stop and observe our surroundings. That’s why I find it crucial to set up my easel outdoors. After spending days at a location, feeling the fluctuating temperatures, battling with the wind, listening to what’s around me, and observing every detail and change in light, air, water, trees, grass, and flowers, I feel like I have created a new connection, made a new friend.
Secondly, I paint outdoors because the human experience of what’s around us cannot be replicated through digital means. Photographs, videos, or 3D renderings can never fully capture our experience within a landscape, nor can it accurately reproduce the rich colors that we see. My paintings are a translation of my experience, from my eyes observing the colors and depth around me, to my brain interpreting what I see, then my hands re-telling the story. By responding to the changing light, colors, and forms of nature, I feel the urgency to tell this story while I can.
As I stand in front of my surroundings, I look for the hidden hues, mix a palette of bright, more saturated colors, and tell the story of the beauty that is in front of me.
Artist Bio
Claire was born in France, grew up in Hong Kong, and studied studio arts and music at Hampshire College, MA. Since then, she has lived in Hong Kong and Boston before settling in San Francisco in 2015.
Claire has been painting in oils for 24 years and painting consistently en plein air for 15. She has exhibited her work in Hong Kong, Massachusetts, Chicago, and the Bay Area.
Claire considers herself a global citizen, and through her art and activism continuously strives to increase the care that people have for nature, for society, and for each other.