Artist in Residence - Meet the Artist!

Find out all about our new Artist in Residence, Clare Payne!

Well, what an exciting week it’s been!

My name is Clare Payne and I’m really delighted to have been named as Manx Wildlife Trust’s (MWT) inaugural Biosphere Artist in Residence! I accepted the title on the first of March 2022 and the wheels are now well in motion for some fantastic arty experiences during the MWT calendar.

It’s a cliché, but this residency really is a ‘dream-come-true’ for me! It combines my two biggest passions: art and nature, into a single role. We have big plans to make it a memorable year for all involved in a variety of engaging, creative projects.

I consider myself a wildlife “Artivist”, committed to conservation through creativity, and strive to promote the issues of our natural world through my art. I am passionate about conservation and the motivation behind most of my personal projects comes from a current focus on endangered species, both locally and internationally.

The majority of my artwork centres around natural history and the sea. I can often be found around the Island’s many beautiful coastlines, drawing and painting outdoors, or gaining reference material for my next piece.

I enjoy most art forms and dabble in everything from drawing and etching to photography and filmmaking, but I especially love painting, in oils, watercolour and acrylic. I regularly paint on reclaimed and recycled wood, using the natural grain and texture of the wood to guide my composition.

When I’m not being arty, I enjoy being out in nature with my young family, rock-pooling, walking and exploring the Island’s amazing beaches and glens. I’m definitely happiest when I’m in, on or under the sea; boating, scuba diving, snorkelling, and swimming.

Although originally from Cheshire, Merseyside, I visited the Isle of Man several times during a BSc Zoology honours degree at the University of Liverpool in 2001-2, and having completely fallen in love with the Island, I relocated here permanently, and now consider myself an official resident! 2022 is my 20^th year in beautiful Port Erin, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world!

You may have seen some of my work at Artea in Port Erin, the Hodgson-Loom Gallery, Laxey and at the Isle of Man Arts Council ‘Ellyn’ exhibition 2021 at the Villa Arcade. However, this residency is not really about MY art, it’s all about what I can inspire YOU to create! I’m so excited about the prospect of collaborating with the Manx community and creating some fabulous, nature-inspired pieces. We have some great events in the pipeline and we’d really love your input. If you have any suggestions make sure to get in touch!

So that’s a bit about me, if you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me at clare@mwt.im. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the role and working with MWT, Biosphere IOM and the IOM Arts Council in this way. Keep an eye out for my next blog to find out what I’ve been up to but in the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Clare 🙂