Claire Brandenburg grew up in Carlsbad in an early New Mexico family. Her mother, Frances F Wilson, an artist, was an important influence on her from an early age. Frances' art focused on the landscapes and people of the Carlsbad area, later her inspiration became the San Francisco Bay Area.
Receiving a BFA in art and education from the University of New Mexico, Claire has lived in Taos, New Mexico since the late '60's. Her inspiration in the fine arts, has been in landscape painting, jewelry, glass, mystical constructions, and children's books. She has received numerous awards, and many examples of her art are in collections in private homes, businesses and museums.
In the last 20 years she entered into the field of children’s books, both as an illustrator and writer with nine books published. Perhaps the most well known of those books is ‘The Monk Who Grew Prayer’ (2003), while the newest book, is ‘South & East (2018).
"I have always been a painter. I see ideas in images. I used to only paint. One day I realized that pictures are not enough. I wanted words to go with them so the ideas that are connected and the art are fully expressed. There is a challenge in articulating feeling and meaning that circulate around an image, and a mystery and symbolism in combining image and word. God supplies thoughts which I would not have been able to express or see initially. He provides angles that change and meaning becomes more powerful. His Mystery is full of surprises, and so my work feeds me with His Grace.
Wonder is a constant friend."
Photo by NC Smith
Receiving a BFA in art and education from the University of New Mexico, Claire has lived in Taos, New Mexico since the late '60's. Her inspiration in the fine arts, has been in landscape painting, jewelry, glass, mystical constructions, and children's books. She has received numerous awards, and many examples of her art are in collections in private homes, businesses and museums.
In the last 20 years she entered into the field of children’s books, both as an illustrator and writer with nine books published. Perhaps the most well known of those books is ‘The Monk Who Grew Prayer’ (2003), while the newest book, is ‘South & East (2018).
"I have always been a painter. I see ideas in images. I used to only paint. One day I realized that pictures are not enough. I wanted words to go with them so the ideas that are connected and the art are fully expressed. There is a challenge in articulating feeling and meaning that circulate around an image, and a mystery and symbolism in combining image and word. God supplies thoughts which I would not have been able to express or see initially. He provides angles that change and meaning becomes more powerful. His Mystery is full of surprises, and so my work feeds me with His Grace.
Wonder is a constant friend."
Photo by NC Smith
