Claire Lucas finds that she is continuously looking at the landscape around her and is predominantly drawn to composition. She enjoys trying to capture the vast space and changing natural light. Claire is particularly excited by shape and form, both natural and synthetic, and how they sit alongside each other.

Intrigued by the way the same view can rapidly change depending on the weather, time of day and the season, she looks to draw in the viewer with an emotional response. She has a particular interest in clouds – preferring a dramatic sky with a rolling cloud formation to a clear, motionless, blue sky.

Much of her work is created using charcoal, allowing her to concentrate on the form and the tone of the composition while experimenting with texture. She prefers to use a mixture of traditional willow charcoal along with charcoal powder – applied with a soft brush – or liquid charcoal, sometimes adding a granulation medium and uses various types of erasers to achieve sharp edges or softened tones.

Claire also works in watercolour and acrylic inks and creates her pieces from rough sketches and photographs that she has taken while out exploring in the local area.

Studying General Art & Design in West Yorkshire is something that Claire feels gave her a foundation to begin developing her skills in fine art. She continues to experiment with various medium and texture and enjoys attending workshops, such as printmaking, to expand her knowledge.