International artist CLARE SYKES buzzes with passion and energy and takes inspiration for her incredibly vivid images from just about everything that surrounds her - from the air she breaths to the sparkle of the sea near her home on the South Coast of England.
Born in Farnham in the UK, Clare subsequently lived in the USA, Spain and Greece before returning home to the South Coast of Britain and it is the influence of the unmistakable Mediterranean light which imbues Clare’s atmospheric works of art with a passionate yet serene quality. It was amid the turquoise of the Greek seas and skies that she felt the overwhelming need to create, their indigenous colours becoming the foundations for her successful career.
Clare painted as a child but later, after an injury to her left hand and unable to work, she took up a paintbrush in her right and soon filled the walls of her home with art. It wasn’t long before she became a published artist and built a successful career in the world of art.
Clare covers her blank canvases with a base colour before adding layers and of paint. In a floral work leaves are added after painting the centre and, once dry, petals mixed with paint and paste are applied creating a high definition Impasto. Stems and more leaves are added - perhaps with a few more splashes of paint for fun - and finally, before spraying the piece with resin based varnish for a high standard of protection, Clare adds her signature.
The joy of being a self-taught artist means there are no boundaries and Clare’s style is constantly evolving – perhaps that is why her art fills the onlooker with joy and positivity which is taken from her two Muses, the elements and nature.
Passion, texture and expressive free movement are the defining features of Clare’s work. The passion in her soul transforms the image of something simple - a flower perhaps - into a visual work of art full of positivity and colour. As an “Organic Texturilist” Clare uses the Impasto Technique by sweeping acrylic paint across her canvasses, allowing light to create a chiaroscuro effect of shades. She encourages the paint to flow naturally and then manipulates it into captivating and colourful compositions. Magically, the finished images combine Clare’s passion with a calming aura of serenity.
When Clare isn’t working she enjoys walking her dog, meeting friends for a coffee by the sea or just watches the butterflies and bees enjoying the lavender in her garden. A strong influence and mentor is the iconic artist Simon Bull. She says “like me, he also paints prolifically with an abundance of colour. He has been a dear friend and true inspiration throughout my journey”.
Clare’s work has been sold to collectors in Dubai, Asia, China, the USA, Canada, Australia, The Phillipines as well as in the UK. In 2017 DuJour Magazine commissioned Clare to create a cover piece featuring Salma Hayek for the Spring edition. Clare says of her work “it represents a happy place I have found for myself to share with everyone else. Artwork frees your imagination and mind to fly. It’s the essence of who you are.” Clare feels honoured to have her work hung across the globe and says “not every wall deserves a painting, but every painting deserves a wall!”.
Clare adds “I’d like my art to fill the walls of collectors around the world with a sense of me smiling back through the artwork. I want them to feel like they are walking through a room that has been encapsulated with happy energy, colour, and texture - a room that brings their imagination face-to-face with mine.
When you’re creating art as an ‘Organic Texturilist’, the idea is that the artwork grows as if a tree would grow from a seed out of the earth, reaching toward the sky. I always keep an organic element in the story of my art, whether it’s trees, florals, skies, or rolling seas. I add texture as my final element for everyone to see and feel with their eyes and emotions. It helps me share my journey, my energy, and my process.”
Clare Sykes is the Master of transferring the beauty of the natural world onto canvas at the touch of a paintbrush. Her talent shines out of her work for us all to absorb and instantly feel joyful and positive. If only we could bottle Clare’s feel-good factor!
We are Portfolio Fine Art are honoured to represent this fabulous artist.