SNUGGLE UP | CLARE HALIFAX

Clare Halifax is one of our most loved Artsnug Artists, often adorning the walls of our Walthamstow Snug! As a London-based artist and traditional printmaker, her beautiful artworks have a strong and distinctive aesthetic which have gathered her an impressive following of devoted fans!

Her intricate and illustrative limited-edition screen prints demonstrate an incredibly skilful use of line and pattern, as well as her love for representation and narrative. Clare is passionate about botanical art as well as cityscapes and architectural forms. With a background in textile design, she carefully balances design, pattern and colour in each work to create a harmonious contemporary work which connects to a particular place, city, building or vignette of the natural world. 

How did your art practice begin?

I initially studied printed textile design at Loughborough University. The structure of the course meant that the first year focused just on drawing in a variety of mediums which helped me to establish the drawing style I use today. After working as a freelance textile designer for a few years I decided to do an MA in Multi-disciplinary Printmaking at UWE due to the changes that were happening in the Textile Design Industry, which was becoming more computer led and moving away at that time, from the drawn elements. On the MA my work developed into fine art printmaking and started me on the career path I am on today.

Tell us about your studio practice. How do you create your beautiful screen prints?

Once I have decided upon the subject matter I will be focusing on, I resource the necessary images, either from a back catalogue of photos I have or visiting specific areas to obtain the reference images. I then start the drawing process where I favour a 0.05 pen nib which enables me to obtain the level of detail within each drawing. When the drawing is completed, a high resolution scan is taken and I then work in photoshop to achieve all the individual layers of colour that will be transferred to the screens in order to create the final screen print. There is usually an element of pattern within each piece of my work, something which I have included since the beginning as a way of giving my work a signature look and also utilising my textile design skills.

Can you tell us a little about your new original works?

The new original’s development came from the first lockdown when I was choosing not to go into the print studio as often and wanted to explore other creative avenues. They have felt quite liberating to produce as the drawings for screenprint are a lot tighter in the their format where as the ‘Swiss Cheese Study’ series has allowed me to still use the same mark making delivery of my drawing style but in a blown up version, partially due to the different tool being used, especially in the pastel pencil drawings which offer more resistance in their application. By working with different coloured backgrounds it also offered an opportunity to experiment with a bolder, brighter colour palette. WHich is something I have been gravitating towards, possibly as a reaction to current events.

What do you hope that your work communicates to the world?

I’ve always felt my work is a reflection of a time and place. The cities and places I draw in particular are always evolving and changing so a London Skyline I drew 10 years ago, the same viewpoint today would look very different. Therefore the screen prints I hope offer people a reminder of a specific place and time that evokes a happy memory or allows them to express a part of their personality and self through their choice of location or botanical piece.

What is your ‘Je ne sais quoi’? That special something that makes your artwork unique.

I think my work has a look again quality. The image in its entirety represents a location but when you look closer you see all the details and mark making that have gone into achieving this.

Which art movements, artists or art works have influenced you?

I love David Hockney. I know he is a popular choice but there is a reason for this and why he has had a career that has spanned several decades. He is an incredible draftsman but has been playful and curious in how his work has evolved into a variety of mediums. I have also always been a fan of the art deco movement as well as the intricacies of William Morris design.

When is your favourite time to create? What conditions do you need to do what you do?  

Creatively, I am in the position where my childhood hobby became my career so it is factor that I feel is always present at all times. I am more of a morning person workwise. The drawing element can be all time consuming, if a piece is going well it won't necessarily be a case of stopping at 5pm as it's better to keep going with it. The initial composition of particularly larger pieces requires the most concentration so I tend to have little going on around me when doing this. Once the outline has been established though the drawing part can be quite a repetitive process so I tend to binge watch something or be listening to a podcast alongside as a way of sustaining my interest. With screen printing I prefer to start early when the studio is quieter so I can get all the preparation elements sorted. If its a complicated print with a lot of layers it’s a headphones and focus situation.

How has lockdown, artistically, been for you? Have you found it a challenge, or has it been a refreshing change? Have you created any lockdown-inspired art?

Lockdown has been a give and take process. Yes there has been a lot of time to produce things creatively but there has also been a lot of time in general and my concentration levels and focus have on occasion been an issue. The new observational drawings are a reaction to the lockdown. I was indoors, there was a house plant....

We've all had time to reflect this year, and to think about how we’d like the ‘new normal’ to look. What changes would you like to see in the post-COVID art world? 

Art through history has encapsulated a moment or a movement and can be resposible for altering a mood or a mindset. I feel post covid for me personally I want to see work that is uplifting, interactive and positive. I saw the Olafur Eliasson - In Real Life, exhibition at the Tate modern a couple of years ago and something akin to that would be perfect for me right now.

Has your appreciation of art changed since you began your professional art career?

It's not always the easiest career choice and as much as I love and feel privileged to be in the position I’m in, there are also moments when you feel tested and uncertain. So I appreciate the highs and lows of everyone who is on a similar journey.

If you could choose 3 pieces of Artsnug artwork to ‘snuggle up’ with, which would they be?

Alexandra Gallagher’s ‘The Perspective of Happiness’, Andrew J MIllar’s ‘Far Gone’ and Jonathan Lawes’ ‘Matchstick number 1’. 

SHOP CLARE’S NEW ORIGINAL ARTWORKS