About Clare Blois 
(portrait by Ian Whyte www.ianwhyteart.com)
CLARE BLOIS ran her own successful gallery in the Highlands before "retiring" to concentrate on the development of her own work. She originally studied textiles and painting with the Open College of the Arts and has won several accolades including the prestigious JD Fergusson Arts Award, presented in memory of the Scottish Colourist painter. She has been an invited artist at the Discerning Eye Exhibition in London, and in 2022 reached the final shortlist for the inaugural Highland Art Prize, awarded in conjunction with the National Mod. Clare exhibits widely in Scotland and beyond.
In the tradition of many Scottish artists I am inspired by the physical qualities of oil paint and the possibilities it provides in terms of colour, movement and texture. I am completely in awe of the astonishing forces of nature here in the Highlands, and thus my work has focused largely on landscape and seascape. I like to get out amongst the elements, working “en plein air” as much as I can, also using the opportunity to collect plentiful sketches which can be the starting point for larger expressionistic works in the studio. These finished works are not so much about the locations that inspired them but about what I felt when I was there on that day.
Increasingly I have been taking a more abstract approach which requires experimentation with new painting "languages". I am also developing paintings which are inspired by the colours of music.
My paintings need to stand apart from any source or connotations as a satisfying visual combination of canvas, composition and paint. I work fast and largely instinctively and I generally put on a lot of paint and remove even more. My simple and sincere objective is for honesty in my work, making paintings that convey the exhilaration I feel in doing them. I am thrilled if others can feel it too.
Clare lives in Beauly and has a studio at the new Inverness Creative Academy (WASPS). See the Contact page for details. She exhibits at galleries and events in Scotland and beyond and frequently contributes to charity exhibitions supporting Highland Hospice, MacMillan, Maggies, Marie Curie etc.
Clare is happy to discuss commissions, on a no obligation basis.
"Clare Blois is clearly in command of her medium and combines passion and technique in equal measure" (The Times)