Clare Kirkconnell was born in Brownsville, Texas and spent a number of her childhood years in Mexico City. Her interest in the arts was present early on, nurtured and mentored by the women in her family, who believed creative expression was essential to a life well-lived.
Kirkconnell’s love of the arts was matched by a deep and abiding urge to see every corner of the globe. She spent several years as a fashion model, traveling the world from bases in New York and Paris. She then landed a three- year run as the female lead in the highly acclaimed drama, The Paper Chase. Never abandoning her interest in painting, she returned to it full time after moving to Northern California with her family.
Kirkconnell moves fluidly between realism and abstraction, and across disciplines. Stitching, piecing, embroidery and beading might be employed along with oil on canvas. Influenced by the natural world, a love of pattern and color, her extensive travels, and a way of looking that incorporates a filter of gratitude and awe, she sees the urge to make art as an expression of the spirit. Kirkconnell’s work has been consistently well-received and can be found in many important collections.
