Claire Hardy
clairehardy.com
Artist Statement:
Claire Hardy's Steel Mill Project evolved from a challenge. Over ten years ago, a collector asked if Claire would create a painting like Aaron Gorson that they both admired. While it was a departure from her vibrant still life and floral paintings, Claire knew she would learn new techniques through the process.
What she didn't know was that this "experiment" would inspire her to paint many more mill scenes until she had filled her studio with a new genre which changed her painting style forever. Claire uses these smoky scenes as a vehicle for more harmonious colors, applying more glazes and textures. Her subdued palette includes historical pigments of siennas, umbers, blues and grays.
The Gorson painting inspired more than one of these works. Claire has also used archived photos of mills from the early 20th century as well as from site visits to mills still in operation today.
