Claire Halenbeck
San Rafael, CA
About 15 minutes North of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco
(As Joni Mitchell sang years ago, “the lights of the golden gate will lead her home”)
Website
www.clairehalenbeck.com
Social Media
Instagram
Threads
Linkedin
How would you describe your work?
Energetic intuitive abstract stories.
What inspires you?
So many things! I’m inspired by light and how it creates color and shape, the aromas of the seasons, the trees, the movements of the coyote, grasses in the breeze, my thoughts and emotions when I’m in moving through nature, birdsong, music and song lyrics.
Can you speak about your process?
Integral to my process is spending mornings outside, usually by myself, on trails I love. I stop often, taking pictures and short videos of shadows, colors, a small leaf in the breeze.
Afternoons are spent in the studio. I work in acrylic/mixed media materials on loose rolls of canvas tacked to the wall. I paint mostly intuitively dropping into a flow state of curiosity and wonder.
I can’t sit at a table and make art……I need to move. I keep my palette across the studio so I can stay in motion. I always have music playing. Often words strung together in melody weave themselves into a painting and become part of how my work is titled.
My heart skips a beat when I see exciting interactions between colors. I love line and big smooshy marks made by dipping my tools in multiple colors at once. Lately transparent colors hold a special attraction. I paint almost exclusively with them. I love thin glazes.
The stories I paint can only be partially described with words.
How did you become interested in art?
I grew up in a musical household playing many instruments and singing. I loved drawing horses and flowers. In college I felt like a kid in a candy store, changing my major 5 times. Eventually, to support my family, I focused on design and had my own commercial interior design business for many years.
When I passed on my business to the next generation, time and emotional space opened in my life. Painting surprised me by becoming my driving force. What a gift it is to find a renewed passion at this time in my life! I feel a sense of urgency to create meaningful work that brings beauty, joy and goodness to the world. My artist friends don’t all agree but I love giving art away freely.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?
I’m moved by many women artists, some contemporary, some not: Petra Schott, Janaina Tschape, Cecily Brown, Mary Weatherford, Heather Chontos, Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Hilma af Klint to name a few.
“Everything I make is a diary entry.” Rick Rubin “May I stay forever in the stream.” Mary Oliver “Just a leaf in the forest, I am.” (me)
What advice do you have for younger artists?
Notice what you notice. Follow your surprise and joy. Try different things, but most importantly, keep to a regular practice as much as possible. We grow in life and art by doing. Like practicing the piano, you must practice your art.
