Clare Maria Wood

www.claremariawood.co.uk Born in North Yorkshire in 1964, Clare gained BAHons from Wimbledon School of Art in 1990 before continuing with post-graduate studies at Goldsmiths University and more recently The Curwen Print Study Centre. She exhibits in galleries around the UK as well as at art fairs. She has paintings in collections in the US, Australia and around Europe. Clare’s work has been selected for shows at the Royal Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, and the Society of Women Artists. I see my paintings as a way of conveying an emotional connection to the land, sea, and sky. I use sensitive mark-making combined with bold, gestural strokes, to transcend the viewer to space beyond physical sight. Perhaps a place of nostalgia, of wonder, of what it is to be human. I walk each day, in all weathers with my dog, Poppy. To be at the edge of the elements, where light shifts and dances; reliant and yet independent of the darkness, is what inspires me to paint. I work intuitively, to begin with, on several pieces at the same time, which allows me to see what is working and expand on ideas. I don’t have an endpoint in mind but see the development as a journey of rhythm and space. I build up glazes of paint, drawn marks and hand-painted collage and then sand into the surface to reveal glimpses of hidden marks and suggested shapes. As each piece develops, I then take a more critical approach, refining areas whilst keeping the energy of the initial marks. When the balance and harmony feel ‘right’ then it is finished. My day usually ends with another walk at sunset which gives me food for thought for tomorrow’s developments.