Artist Statement 2026

Over the past two years, I have decided to chase the ephemeral beauty of California’s spring. While my works over the past decade have mostly been focused on San Francisco, for this exhibition I intentionally planned trips outside of the city, from San Ramon to Pescadero, from Point Reyes to the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Some of these adventures are more exploratory, where I bring gouache and paper pad on a day hike, create a quicker color sketch on site and bring that back into the studio. Other times I do extensive research or go back to a familiar location with my oils, canvas and my sturdy French easel and paint for the day. My goal is to relish the present and capture the spring in a more permanent medium so that we can return to the experience of joy. 

My paintings celebrate the light, colors, and textures in the land. I choose scenes with contrasting elements - this can be undulating hills jutting into the smooth blue sky, jagged cliffs hanging over turquoise water, colorful blooms emerging from green grass, or succulents juxtaposed against the city’s skyscrapers. I am particularly drawn to vistas where the eyes can travel deep or wide into space, where you can see the big picture of how everything is interconnected. 

I use plein air painting as a way of reconnecting with nature and my surrounding environment. In a world where most of us spend the majority of our waking hours in front of a screen, we are increasingly detached with nature and our humanity. Setting up my easel outdoors allows me to pause and reconnect with my surroundings, feel the air, and observe the changes in colors and life.

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.
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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.