Following a career in teaching Clare Weatherill paints and teaches mainly in watercolour, about which she is passionate. The surprises and wonders never fails to fascinate her and she is rarely without a sketchbook. Continually learning herself she is always striving to further develop her techniques and to stretch herself to new levels and to capture the moment - she is sure to encourage you to do the same.
Clare teaches watercolour in Fulham and also runs workshops around the UK. She has won several prizes for her work at local and national level. She is also a member (and past chair) of SoFAP, Merton Art Society and Hesketh Hubbard, Drawing London and Surrey Hills Plein Air and also paints widely around the UK and abroad, exhibits regularly and works on commissions both home and abroad.
Clare teaches watercolour in Fulham and also runs workshops around the UK. She has won several prizes for her work at local and national level. She is also a member (and past chair) of SoFAP, Merton Art Society and Hesketh Hubbard, Drawing London and Surrey Hills Plein Air and also paints widely around the UK and abroad, exhibits regularly and works on commissions both home and abroad.
And some thoughts by Clare on Why and How we paint ................
I have always drawn things, for as long as I can remember. I had a good art teacher at school and spent hours in the art room drawing.
An early memory of using paint was aged about 7 with a neighbours Grandpa! He showed my sister and me how to do a blue ‘wash’ sky. I remember it so clearly and wonder if this is the reason I am so passionate about water colour!
I spent my working life as a mother and teacher, both of which I loved. On retirement I had time to pursue my love of drawing and painting and started attending art school and courses whenever I could. Ups and downs and repeat! I soon settled on a way and style that suited me and over the years of fun and hard work I am still evolving and strive to get better and better at what I do.
I enjoy sharing my ‘journey’ and have been teaching art for several years now and run workshops and courses out and about as well as weekly classes in my kitchen.
I have a studio which is my space and I love to play and create here. However a huge passion is to be out in the air, ‘en plen air’, and paint what I see in that moment. I have copious sketch books full of scribbles, moments in time and longer studies which mean so much to me. These are personal memories and with a sketch book there is a freedom I don’t quite achieve when I set up my easel. As a result my sketches are often more expressive and evocative than the paintings. From these sketches I can usually get inspiration and enough information to do a larger painting in the studio at a later date.
I love to travel and explore and to see and feel and have time to absorb my surroundings. That puts me in the mood in which I can paint. Clare Weatherill