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Claire Yates BA (Hons)

 

About the artist:

My education began at Edgecliff High School, Kinver where my favourite subject was art. I then attended Stourbridge College of Technology & Art on leaving school and gained knowledge in various subjects.
After finishing the course there and gaining a National Diploma in General Art & Design I decided to further my education at West Surrey College of Art & Design, Farnham, Surrey with a BA (Hons) course in textile Design. My final degree show was held at Butlers Wharf, in London.
I now reside in Spain, 5 minutes from the beach, on which is where I am able to obtain much of my subject matter for my paintings.

I am an active member of both The Worcester and the Wolverhampton Society of Artists with whom I exhibit my work on a regular basis.

MY WORK

My paintings are illustrative and observed and I tend to paint things that really interest me. I look at things, obsessively of how and what they are.
My favourite subject to work is has to be pebbles. They are a real eye opener to the different shapes, textures the sea can churn up, but how the colours of each pebble when they are clustered together in a group are beautiful. Recently my favourite subject is fruit. I am absolutely fanatical about its colour and form.

I mostly work in watercolour as I adore its looseness although some of my recent still life paintings have been in soft pastel , which has always been a medium that I have swayed against using, probably because I have only concentrated on working in watercolour as a medium.

I absolutely adore animals and that’s why I love working on pet portrait commissions which have proven popular here in Spain as well as in the UK. I always work in detail, studying every hair and each glint in the eyes. I have been taking on commissions now for the past 30 years and I couldn’t think of anything better to spend my time. I feel the most important part of the animal are the eyes. As they say ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’ – this is very true!

I exhibit my work regularly at various local craft fayres here in Spain