I am an artist whose work always starts with a piece of cloth. I work in two streams; translating remote landscapes using earth pigments (which could be described as representational abstraction) and meditative hand stitch.

My landscape inspired work is drawn from desolate wilderness environments with wide horizons. I aim to achieve a visual representation of what I see, think, feel and experience. This has meant restricting my tools, my media, my palette and my process – simplify, simplify, simplify.

The intensive hand stitching is mainly done on antique linen or hemp as I can literally feel history under my fingertips; areas of the cloth are worn in places and this makes me contemplate the years of use the cloth has undergone and the hardship experienced by those who used it.

Although the jumping-off points for both streams of work are different, they are connected by reduction and simplicity, and a tactile quality.

Exhibitions: 2017-1998

• ‘ViewSeven’, Menier Gallery, London, December 2017
• ‘European Art Quilt: Grande Finale’, Historische Museum de Bevelanden, Goes, The Netherlands, July to September 2017.
• ‘Lines & Rows, Rhythm & Repetition’, Festival of Quilts, NEC, August 2016
• ‘Material Pulses’, Colombus, Ohio, U.S.A, May to July 2016
• ‘ViewSeven’, Menier Gallery, London, U.K., November 2015
• ‘Of Place & Time’, Bad Soden, Germany, September 2015
• ‘ViewSeven’, Quilt und Textilkunst, Munich, Germany, 2014
• ‘ViewSeven’, Menier Gallery, London, 2013
• ‘European Art Quilt’, U.K., Europe & U.S.A., 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2014, catalogued
• ‘UK Art Quilts’, National Quilt Museum, Paducah, U.S.A, March-June 2012
• ‘ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions’, Australia, 2009 to 2011, catalogued
• ‘Art : Cloth’, The Knitting & Stitching Shows, U.K., 2008
• Florence Biennale, Italy, 2007, catalogued
• ‘Festival of Cloth’, Houston, USA, 2007
• ‘Unfurled’, Nebraska, U.S.A., 2007
• ‘Never Static’, Minneapolis, U.S.A., 2006
• ‘Creative Link II’, Grace Barrand Design Centre, U.K. 2005
• Committed to Cloth, The Knitting & Stitching Shows, U.K. 2004
• Complex Cloth, The Festival of Quilts, U.K., 2004
• Quilt 2004, U.K., catalogued
• European Quilt Art, Belgium, 1998

Claire has also curated two art textile exhibitions and been a member of the jury for European Art Quilt 2010, 2012 & 2014, and Fine Art Quilt Masters 2013 & 2014.

Teaching

• Committed to Cloth, Drewshearne Barn, South Godstone, U.K.
• The Crow Timber-Framed Barn, Ohio, U.S.A
• Textil Studio, Speyer, Germany
• The Masseria della Zingara, Puglia, Italy
• The Textile Centre, Minnesota, U.S.A
• The Surface Design Association Conference, Kansas City, U.S.A
• Quilt und Textilkunst, Munich, Germany
• Zijdelings, The Netherlands
• The Festival of Quilts (through ‘The Virtual Studio’)

Publications

• European Art Quilt 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017
• Artcloth: Engaging New Visions
• Florence Biennale
• Quilt 2004

Books published through Committed to Cloth

• Breakdown Printing
• Tray Dyeing
• Finding your own Visual Language
• Paper Lamination (now available online through Galli Publishing)
• Screen Printing
• Thermofax Printing (now available online through Galli Publishing)
• Making your Mark