Photographer - Claire Harrison

Claire has had an interest in both art and the environment since she was a child, including painting flowers in watercolour pre-school. As a teenager her interest developed towards a career, working at Hampton’s Auctioneers and Valuers, where she learnt the importance of the national and international art markets.

Aged 18 Claire embarked on her Fine Art BA (HONS) degree at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design University College. Contrary to the advice of her tutors, Claire continued to explore her passion for the natural by using painting or photographical/digital techniques to create artworks of illuminated flora and fauna depicted in a fractal abstract form.

Leaving university, Claire applied for a solo exhibition at the Farnham Maltings and within six months had a successful show of 40 new artworks. Shortly after her exhibition Claire was offered a studio at the Maltings, where she has been based ever since.

During the spring of 2003, Claire had her second successful solo art exhibition, ‘Fractal Flora’, at the Windsor Art Centre. She was chosen from a hundred applicants, this gathered Claire much interest in both the local and national press. This included being featured in the national publication, ‘Artists and Illustrators’, and was asked to write an article discussing the validity of photographic and digital work in the contemporary art market.

Since starting her career in 2002, Claire has had four solo shows and exhibited at Battersea Contemporary Arts Fair twice. Claire has been consistently invited to exhibit in galleries across the South and in 2007 established herself nationally.

In February 2003, Claire was invited to be a committee member/trustee for the Farnham Art Society and in 2006 was elected to be publicity officer. During her four-year term she has been an active member encouraging an increase of contemporary works to be exhibited by the society. In 2003 Claire was invited to be a trustee of the Farnham Public Arts Trust where she sat on the committee for a year.

Claire has vast experience in teaching, she taught her own art courses for adults for five years, run numerous demonstrations and workshops for various local arts organisations, and is currently a visiting lecturer and industry advisor for Farnborough College of Technology.

Claire has also inspired three students, to do projects about her and her work for academic courses. This has included a degree student at Reading University, a GCSE student at St. Anne’s Convent School, Southampton and an NC Design student at Farnborough College of Technology.

See all work by Claire Harrison