Preserving Beauty through Ceramics
Claire's work in crafting porcelain art is inspired by heritage craft skills and nature.
In her work she preserves the intricate beauty of domestic handicraft skills, that have been passed down the generations, as well as locally found wild and garden plants.
The processes Claire uses within her work all take time and whilst making, Claire becomes completely absorbed in the task at hand and time stands still. Preserving the skills of her female ancestors is important to her and she uses vintage sewing pattern pieces as well as crocheted pieces created by her great grandmother in her work. She captures and preserves in porcelain tiny stitches as well as the intricate details of wild and garden plants which are so often overlooked.
Artistic Journey
Claire is a life long artist whose professional journey started following the completion of a foundation in art and design in 2011 and subsequent MA in Fine Art completed in 2014 at the University of Hertfordshire .
Her Masters inspired her to explore the connections between coal mining and domestic handicrafts such as knitting and crochet. Coming from Durham in the north east of England, both of these areas continue to greatly influence her work and are very important to her practice.
Crafting with Purpose
Her early work with bone china and porcelain allowed her to begin the process of capturing the intricacies of sewing patterns and knitted items whilst also creating pieces in ceramic inspired by quilts made by miners wives in the coalfields.
Ceramic Explorations
To extend the exploration of mining Claire worked with a local paper maker to hand make paper incorporating coal dust and creating work inspired by, and incorporating, the crocheted work of her Great Grandmother, Annie.
Artist Biography
Member of the Wynd Gallery, Letchworth since September 2023
Herts Visual Arts Open Studios (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021) Pop up gallery, Harpenden
Ayot St Lawrence Open Art Exhibition (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021)
Kimpton Open Art Exhibition (May 2024, 2023)
Herts Visual Arts Big Art Fair, Hitchin Town Hall (July 2023, 2022, 2021)
Decorum and Chiltern Potters Guild Exhibition (September 2019), St Albans
Hertfordshire Open Studios (September 2017), St Albans
FPS Open Exhibition (December 2015) Menier Gallery, Southwark Street, London
Eastern Approaches UH Galleries (Dec 2014 - Jan 2015), Museum of St Albans
Masters Postgraduate Exhibition 2014 (Oct - Nov 2014), The School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire
End of Foundation in Art & Design Course Exhibition (June 2011), Oaklands College, St Albans
Awards
Hertfordshire County Council Award: Eastern Approaches exhibition, UH Galleries, December 2014