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03
Apr 2022
Last Updated: 01/04/2022
From the Valley Gardens to owning her own art gallery: Claire Baxter's road to success
In 2008, Claire Baxter was struggling to get a post as an art teacher. Fast forward to 2022, Claire is a successful artist with her own gallery in Pateley Bridge and has just been nominated for a national art award.
In 2008, Claire Baxter was struggling to get a post as an art teacher.
She was pregnant and needed to work.
So to make money, she turned towards her artwork and started to exhibit with the White Rose Artists, hanging her work on the railings in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens hoping for some sales.
National art award
Fast forward to 2022, Claire is a successful artist with her own gallery in Pateley Bridge and has just been nominated for a national art award.
But the mum-of-two, from Bilton, is the first to admit it has not been an easy road to success.
"I had various jobs after university, where I did a fashion degree, and then had jobs in retail. I then became a teaching assistant and then trained to be an art teacher and eventually qualified in 2007.
"In 2008 I still didn't have a position. I was not long married, I was pregnant with my daughter and did a solo exhibition in a Harrogate nursing home, Larchfield Manor.
"From there I was asked by a lady who was part of a group called the White Rose Artists, and they exhibited in the Valley Gardens on certain Sundays in the summer and would I like to join them. I did that for 10 years. People started to learn that I would be down at the gardens and it helped me to build up a following."
Inside Claire's gallery in Pateley Bridge.
'I worked every hour possible'
Claire, who was born and raised in Knaresborough, did eventually manage to get a teaching post in 2009.
But after her second child was born in 2012, her career as an artist really took off.
She said:
"I worked every hour possible, painting and developing a distinctive style, bagging greetings cards, creating a website and building up social media following, knocking on gallery doors, booking fairs and making new contacts.
"I started to book shows and fairs, taking more commission bookings and built up a following until I was in a position where I could move house and convert the garage into a purpose built studio."
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Calendar run
She also remembers personally hand-delivering her calendars to all her customers.
She said:
"I used to announce on social media when I was going to do my calendar run.
"I used to start in Knaresborough at all the addresses of people who had ordered them and for about four hours I would drive the route through Starbeck and back up to Harrogate and home. My car was filled up with calendars and lists of names, a flask of tea and my credit card machine.
"I literally spent all night going from door-to-door. It was things like that which helped me get to where I am today. I used to do shows when I was pregnant and my kids were with me in prams while I was was selling. It has been a self-driven, just chipping away and trying to get acknowledged."
New gallery
She soon realised she was juggling too much and eventually gave up teaching in 2014, safe in the knowledge she could always go back to it if needed.
She said:
"In January 2019 I was able to take the lease on a gallery in Pateley Bridge. The gallery has been hugely successful and in November 2021, we were able to move to a more prominent position on the High Street, which already has proved to be a huge success.
"It has been a bit crazy as it was never a planned thing to be an artist. It was circumstance, opportunity and hard work that led me that way."
Claire's gallery on Patelely Bridge High Street.
Claire is a proud Yorkshire artist and always tried to capture 'God's Own County' in her work, with the real locations and characters all developed through observations. Many of her paintings feature the Harrogate district, which she loves to capture.
Tour de Yorkshire
She was named as the official Tour de Yorkshire artist in 2020, a title she continues to hold despite uncertainty surrounding the cycle race.
She said:
"I finished the work in March 2020 and we went into lockdown.
"Obviously then the Tour de Yorkshire never happened, although the work is complete. In fact lockdown came in the week it was meant to be released to the media. So that was a bit of a blow.
"We don't know what is happening with the Tour de Yorkshire, so having this national award opportunity is huge."
National award
Claire is among five finalists in the running for the title of UK's Most Popular Artist, which has been launched by the Fine Art Trade Guild.
She said:
"I submitted 'Last of the Summer Wine', which I painted in oil last year in my usual quirky, fun style. Set in Swaledale, the painting was partly inspired by lockdown.
"It's a true celebration of getting back out, spending time with friends and enjoying the simple things we had missed.
"The image has proven to be very popular.
"I am absolutely thrilled and very excited to be a finalist. Even if I don’t win, to me, I’ve already won by coming this far. It's a massive thing for little me.
"I paint because I love what I do and the joy of being able to put my thoughts and visions into the reality of a scene for others to enjoy is very rewarding. I never thought that a national award would be in my reach when I was starting out as it hasn’t been an easy journey."
Last of the Summer Wine.
Claire has always loved art and studied the subject at both GCSE and A-Level at St John Fisher, before going on to do an art foundation course at Harrogate College.
She said:
"I am actually still in touch with my art teacher from school and it was him who helped me to get some experience to be able to become a teacher myself.
"I don't think I'll ever go back into teaching now as I'm just too busy with my art."
Advice
And her advice for any budding artists hoping to make it a full-time career?
"Build up as much work as you can. Establish your own style and just keep chipping away. It could take a very long time, but it's worth it in the end.
"It really is a case of not taking no for an answer and it's sometimes accepting the criticism that you get. It's really important to listen to the criticism as well as the praise. It's hard sometimes but you learn from it."
The award ceremony will take place in Stratford upon Avon on May 13. To vote, click here.
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