About

Born in Ayrshire, I grew up in Spey Bay on the Moray coast, before graduating with an MA in Fine Art from the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art with a distinction in painting in 1997.

I have shown my oil paintings professionally throughout the UK since 1998. My work, inspired by the Scottish Borders landscape where I live and work, is in many private collections in the UK and worldwide.  I have exhibited widely and have had a number of solo exhibitions.  I am currently represented by Morningside Gallery in Edinburgh and Cameron Contemporary Art in Brighton. I am a member of the Society of Scottish Artists, Visual Arts Scotland and Aberdeen Artists Society. 

Landscape has always been a source of inspiration. My painting practice is based on my experience of the landscape around me and almost always features a solitary motif.  Often this is a tree or group of trees, a cloud, hay bales, or the outline of hills against the sky.  I am interested in the possibilities of the picture plane surrounding these elements and the idea of a distant centre representing pause, reflection and an idea of home.  I create work by building colour and mark making over time until landscape elements and compositions settle into place, sometimes by chance.  I want the final image to glow and resonate like a specific memory or a glance that comes briefly into focus.

Working creatively with others I believe that the visual arts are energising and motivating and can inspire change and enable connections between people on many levels.  Recent projects and research are outlined on my Projects page. 

Claire in her home studio in Duns in the Scottish Borders