Jan 30 2025 39 mins 1
There probably aren’t many artists who can lay claim to a previous career working with stunt horses in film and TV productions, but Claire Howlett can. When she had to abandon her foundation degree in fine art, Claire first turned to art restoration as a potential career but after an enjoyable and educational few years in a darkened room, it was to her other great love - horses - that she turned. Applying to a few stables in her native Berkshire, she was lucky enough to be taken on by one specialising in providing equine performers and she was hooked.
In our very entertaining chat, Claire shares more details on the somewhat unconventional route she has taken to becoming a full time artist, including her successful restoration of a painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769 – 1830) the fourth president of the Royal Academy of Art https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ and a notable society portraitist; and how a chance encounter lead to her early work being showcased in royal furniture-maker Viscount Linley’s London showroom https://www.davidlinley.com/
Claire shares how despite a varied career, she has continued to paint and it is her love of the outdoors and capturing the sense of place she finds in remote spots that inspires the very striking sea and landscapes which she paints now.
You can see Claire’s work on Instagram at @Clairehowlettartist and on her website: https://clairehowlettart.com/
