IN THE STUDIO WITH ARTIST CLARE HAXBY

Ever since we first met British artist Clare Haxby, we’ve been in awe of her passion and entrepreneurial spirit, and to be perfectly honest, she is one of the reasons we were inspired to launch Creative Founders. Clare is a creative entrepreneur with some serious motivation, whether it be creating fab mixed media works influenced by her life and travels, exhibiting at unique locales around the world, or focusing on her website where she sells her Limited Edition Prints and blogs about her top business tips and lifehacks for artists. We recently chatted with Clare to find out more about her unique journey and practise.

 

 

IN THE STUDIO WITH ARTIST CLARE HAXBY

 

Hi Clare, we are really excited you have taken the time to chat to us! So tell us, at what point in your life did you know that art was your calling?

 

Thank-you so much this is a real treat as I love your site, I often visit to read about other artists and designers when I need a little inspiration or a boost. All I wanted to do as a child was create, whether it was sewing, embroidery, drawing or painting I just always did it, it was just natural to me. I was not sporty, other than horse riding (my friend’s pony which I loved).

I was that girl at school always trying to duck out of any kind of sport. My refuge was the art room. I do have a vivid memory of being taken to other classes as a young girl of about 8 to show this fabric collage and embroidery I had done of a Kingfisher. The teachers thought it was something special and I was curious at the fuss but also mortified at being hauled around the school with it and being made to show it off.  It was quite baffling to me but it was also that point where I realised adults thought I was good at this art stuff!

When I was older and looking at apply to art college I asked my Art teacher Miss Phinn what kind of things were on offer there apart from the obvious drawing and painting she said ‘Oh they do all kinds of mad things at art school Clare, you can knit a teapot if you want’ and I thought ….oh fabulous this is definitely for me! I LOVED everything about my foundation course trying all the different disciplines from textiles, ceramics, life drawing and printmaking, it was the first time I felt at home in a learning environment other than Miss Phinn’s art room. When I was doing my GCSE she brought in fresh lobsters in which we were drawing and she had to keep them in her fridge for weeks!

 

 

Much of your artwork is inspired by landmarks and your time living in Asia. Now that you are living back in the UK, how has your time in Singapore influenced your practice?

 

My 8 years in Singapore influenced my work hugely, the entire experience of living and immersing myself in another culture not only by living in Singapore but by travelling around Asia was the most brilliant experience. Not only did I return to my studio practice after being a stay at home mum in London (my children were 5 and 6 when we moved). I started painting buildings and architecture and I also started painting larger scale canvases. I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone and tried new things constantly, it was a period of growth for me personally and professionally.

Eventually, I also gained a lot of clients and collectors who fell in love with my art inspired by Asia and Singapore. By the time I left Singapore I had a network of collectors across the globe and they included ambassadors and embassies. Now I am back in London I am creating a new series of London Landmarks and still doing commissions and prints to expand my Asia series. Asia will always be part of me, I feel hugely connected to it and I send my prints out to Asia all the time.

 

When you were first starting out, what were the some of the most influential experiences that shaped who you have become as an artist?

 

Walking into my first real artist’s studio when I was a child.  Teddy was a Spanish friend of my parents, I remember the smell of the oil and the linseed and seeing all the paintings on the wall of his studio and feeling a flush of excitement. We also had tea there and had cucumber relish with the sandwiches which I thought was marvellous and different!

Winning The Stanley Picker Travel Scholarship when I was studying Fine Art at Kingston upon Thames University was another experience that stands out. I spent 6 weeks in Brazil and Venezuela exploring the rainforests and going on a 5-day boat trip down the Amazon where I didn’t see land for days at one point. The experience opened my eyes and my world to travelling and inspired my work. I have had a yearning to travel ever since and I got that opportunity when we moved to Asia because of my husband’s job. Travelling is my main source of inspiration, I absolutely love it!

 

 

Did you always have a clear plan of how to make a career out of your art or have you ever have doubts and worry about your path as an artist?

 
Not really, it has been mostly organic. I am not a natural business woman but I have had to learn those skills along the way to support being an artist in business. I am a member of The Athena Network in Barnes, London now. The Athena Network an amazing network for female entrepreneurs. I was first a member of Athena in Singapore.

I have had many doubts and worries about my path as an artist. Rejections can knock your confidence and if you get several in a row it can have a demoralising effect. I always bounce back though and I can open my emails in the same morning and receive a message from a collector on the other side of the world saying they have just hung their painting in their new home and expressing how much they love it. That kind of feedback is the best thing you can get. I have had some truly heartfelt letters from my clients.

 

 

How has your work progressed over the years?

 
I have developed my mixed media style incorporating elements of printmaking into my paintings. I like working with monoprint for its simplicity and the quality of the line. My work has progressed in terms of scale. I can work on any scale from tiny 10 cm square mini prints to 8 ft canvases. Working large has been my biggest transition but it does suit the architectural landmarks paintings and helps the wow factor at an exhibition, though they never look quite as big as they do in the studio once they are in a large white gallery space.

 

Every time we check in with you, you always seem to have a new project or exhibition on the go. Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you stay motivated?

 

I never run out of ideas I literally have like 100 years worth of paintings in my head so I virtually never get creative block, but I do struggle hugely with juggling all the different elements in my life as an artist, entrepreneur, mum and wife. If I could just paint all day life would be tickety-boo but working on the marketing and business side takes a lot of time and energy and it is not something that can be ignored.

I am a mum of 3 children, I have 2 teenagers and a 7-year-old and my husband travels quite a bit with his job. Life is always pretty busy and I have suffered badly with burnout recently. There has been a lot to do since moving back to Surrey from Asia, moving house twice, repatriating back into life in England and resetting my business base. Physically it has taken its toll. A homoeopath I saw said that I had all the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I meditate and I am part of a healing development group, I treat myself to Indian head massage every now and then and I have met a Reiki practitioner, Joanne Summer, through my Athena group who gave me an amazing Reiki healing this month. Self-care is my new priority to help keep me healthy so that I can look after my family and have a good base for my creativity to flourish and not feel overwhelmed by the business of being an artist. Its a work in progress in itself!

 

 

Many artists struggle with reconciling the creative side of art and the business side, but it seems like you’ve always had a strong grasp on both. In your opinion, what are some of the most important things artists should consider if they wish to build a business around their art?

 

Commitment, Commitment, Commitment. Being talented and productive is only the start as you have to work hard on getting your work seen. Artists need to think about how they are going to build their brand and also how they are going to sell their art.

I exhibit my paintings in group exhibitions by answering a lot of artists calls for opportunities to exhibit at home and overseas. Of course, you get many rejections during this process but I have exhibited in Venice, Columbia and Miami as well as the UK.  This does require investment as they come with submission or exhibiting fees and then you have the cost of shipping and if overseas the export paperwork!!

I also promote my work on social media and I have someone help with my digital marketing in general. We sometimes do paid facebook ads or collaborations with partners. I am also looking at collaborating with bloggers and I have booked some stalls locally to promote my London Landmark Prints. In my experience you cannot rely on digital alone to sell your art, you have to get out and exhibit and meet people.

Also, clients want to physically see the art. I do however sell my Limited Edition Prints very well online, I get a lot of recommendations and repeat orders. I have just found someone who is interested in representing my prints in Singapore now that I am based back in London so new clients can physically go and see them if they prefer prior to ordering. I have a gallery in Buckinghamshire and interiors shop in Singapore also representing my artworks. Its all about finding the right people for you, it is about the relationship with the gallery or agent at the end of the day.

 

What strategies or tools have you found to be most effective for marketing your artwork and connecting with new clients?

 
I market and advertise my new paintings and prints on Facebook and I use Instagram as my daily art journal. My collectors and followers love seeing the stage by stage process of a painting, I post little videos of the process sometimes which gets a lot of likes!

 

What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

About being authentic as a person and as an artist even if other people don’t like it – Don’t be like everyone else darling!
 

We love to follow your “artist diary” on Instagram. Can you tell our readers what you are currently working on and what can we expect to see from you in the future?

 
I am working on releasing my Limited Edition Prints of London Landmarks, my first Landmarks are The Liberty London Building and The Palm house at Kew Gardens. I am also working on a painting of Ernest Hemingway’s House I visited in Key West Florida earlier this year and trying to finish my Chinatown Painting I have had on the go for ages.

 

When you’re not working in your studio, what kind of things will we find you doing?

 

I live in the Surrey Hills at the moment so at weekends I go walking with my husband and kids. Its very beautiful green countryside, 2 young deer crossed the road in front of me this week. I also love going to see all the exhibitions and galleries in London and I am a member of the Tate and the RA. I love meeting up for lunch with my girlfriends. I went to Petersham Nurseries in Richmond for lunch recently it was amazing food, beautiful Indian wall hangings and gorgeous flowers everywhere! It is important to get out of the studio connect with people and just hang out and drink a little wine!

 

At CF, we love shining the spotlight on inspirational creative entrepreneurs like yourself. Can you tell us about another artist in your community who inspires you and why?

 
Jane Walker is another artist who I met in Singapore, our kids went to the same school there from day 1. She lives back in Cornwall England now and is also following her art dream. Jane curates exhibitions as well as creates her own work inspired by her Cornish background and life in Singapore. I exhibited at her Shophouse gallery in Little India, one of the funkiest districts in Singapore where Jane put on exhibitions, life drawing classes and coffee! Jane is a phenomenal artist and a natural connector of people, her gallery was a natural magnet for the community of expats in Singapore. I admire her drive, commitment and general craziness, she is a free spirit as well as a mother of 3 like me.

You can often find her having whisked herself off to the Cote d’Azur at a moments notice because she wants to go and paint polo horses. We love to meet up and share the trials and the journey of art and believe me, we can talk about art for hours. It was Jane who suggested to me that I should paint some Singapore scenes in my mixed media textile style and that germ of an idea became my biggest collection that was bought by The French Embassy of Singapore.

 

Check out more of Clare Haxby’s work and please show your support!

www.clarehaxby.com
www.instagram.com/clarehaxby
www.pinterest.com/clarehaxby
www.facebook.com/artsingapore
www.facebook.com/clarehaxbyfineart