OF FABRICS, TEXTILES, AND EMBROIDERY CLAUDIA

CLAYMAN

THINK OF SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES IN THE WORLD—THE MEMORABLE SEASCAPES, THE EVERCHANGING COASTLINES, THE HISTORIC LANDMARKS AND OTHER STUNNING LANDSCAPES. NOW, JUST IMAGINE HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY CAN BE WHEN BROUGHT TO LIFE THROUGH FABRIC ART.

Claudia Clayman is a textile artist. Inspired by the love she has for seascapes and landscapes, she creates the most wonderful masterpieces by using scraps of fabric and embroidery.

As we start chatting about her work, she takes me back to her childhood days and how she has always had a deep love for fabric. Since her father had a textile manufacturing business called Malta Weave just adjacent to their house, she recalls being surrounded by fabric, thread, weaving looms, and sewing machines for as long as she can remember. Once she turned 18, she was gifted a sewing machine and immediately started making her own clothes and other practical items.

Nevertheless, it took a few years for Claudia to fully pursue her love for all things fabric. After 5 years working in the banking industry, she moved to the UK to study nursing in London, where she worked at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead as a senior nurse specialist, before retiring after 31 years in the NHS. She tells me that, “Retirement meant that I had time to explore other creative options using fabric. I considered using a quilting technique, but it wasn’t my cup of tea, and I developed my own style using fabric collage and embroidery. I also love baking cakes, and dancing – mainly rock and roll, and swing.”

Throughout the years, Claudia has had her work exhibited in Malta and at various art fairs in London. She tells me that her earlier works are inspired by the turquoise Mediterranean Sea and the rugged Maltese coastline while others feature rural landscapes; “I am strongly drawn to the sea and have recently created a series of Cornish and Scottish ports and beaches. I am also attracted to rural landscapes, which are a bit more of a challenge.”

The process starts with a sketch. From that point onwards, Claudia spends lots of time trawling through her large stash of material and scraps to find the right colours for each element of the picture. “The majority of the fabric I use is recycled,” Claudia says. “I cut and layer the fabric, hand-sewing each section in turn, adding detail by using embroidery, and organza to create shadows and depth. I never throw away any scraps, as they can always be used on another project.” Once the fabric and textures are chosen, she mainly works off photos, following the details of the image to give life to her pictures.

Moving on to the methods and media used, Claudia explains that the beauty of fabric lies in the variety of colour, texture and shiny/matte contrasts. “Lace is excellent for creating sea surf, and scarves are also particularly useful, as they are often made from very fine fabric which can blend colours,” she continues. Most of Claudia’s creations feature fabrics that are loosely divided into three colour groups; blues, greens and beige/brown. Although Claudia tells me she is mostly drawn to the blue hues, she also needs the other earthy colours to complete a picture.

In its very essence, Claudia explains that her art is vibrant and representational since she believes that people are more likely to connect with places they recognise. “At first glance, most people think my pictures are oil or acrylic paintings and have some difficulty recognising that they are actually made from fabric. I love it when one of my pieces finds its forever home.” Over the years, she has done commissions of memorable places for her clients, including ones such as Biarritz, Vietnam, Scotland, Ireland, Venice, The London Eye, Mdina, Mellieħa, and Buskett.

As long as Claudia continues to enjoy creating her vibrant masterpieces, she plans on pursuing her love and interest in the world of fabric art for many years to come.

Instagram: @gainsfordhousecreations