About...

There is always something majestic to be found in our landscape, whether it be those almost transcendental, ethereal summer days or a wild, blustery coastline under a bruised sky. This is what I try and capture in my work.

Claire Howlett

Claire trained as a fine art restorer, after studying art at Oxford Brookes. Life then focused on working with special action horses in the film industry, before a return to painting.

Her painting inspiration is derived from the natural world: Its beauty, its wildness and its serenity.

Claire's artwork aims to capture the raw mood of a place, its essence, focusing primarily on water and light, as can be seen in the seascapes. This fascination is then translated in a non- representational way into her paintings.

She says: ‘For me, the energy that is born from the sense of a place is what inspires the work, the residual memory of being immersed in that landscape. Our landscape resonates deep within, especially the coastline, rivers and mountains where I walk with my dog. I am entranced by the light, the tangled breeze that can whip up from nowhere, the scent of ozone, sunlight dancing on water, ominous skies… It weaves together to evoke a love I try and translate via my work.’

Most images evolve in many layers using glazes and texture, applying and stripping back the paint, reworking the surface to incorporate all that emerges and recedes as the painting progresses. There is similarity with the landscape within there too, similar to rock formations and tidal coves, a history that is built over time, covered and uncovered, some parts remaining unseen but still a part of the landscapes and the paintings unique integrity and history. A painting can take many months to complete, or occasionally a much more immediate work is born.

Cornwall, the river Thames and the Lakes hold a very special place in my heart. Follow my process in my journal.

Claires work hangs in private and corporate collections, both nationally and internationally.