Saint Claire spilts her time between Costa Rica, San Diego and Idyllwild, CA.  Saint Claire is a Navy veteran, mother to 3 teenagers, and has been married to her partner, for 24 years.  Saint Claire has lived on 3 U.S. coasts (East, West, and Gulf) and on 3 continents.  Her commitment to service and her sense of adventure continues to inspire her travels and her work.   

 

Just as life is a journey, my approach to art is a search- the type of search that feels like a longing and ends in a surrender to the creative process itself. Sometimes I am drawn to the absurd, and sometimes beauty, but I find the subjective nature of beauty limiting. What interests me most is the sublime, the curious, and the space in between. My work is the exploration of relationships and resistance, both arising internally and externally. The visual arts are a form of language that transcends time and culture. At times, my work is a window into the unconscious, and, at other times, a snapshot of my reactivity, my comfort, and my discomfort revealed. Whether I'm diving into the complexities presented by the nuances of being female in male dominated world, exerting a sense of self in a long term marriage, or balancing my rebel self with the duties of motherhood to three children, now teens, I find that I am always examining and refining my identity and the world around me through my work.

 

As a self taught artist, play is a key part of my process and it is in this world beyond the looking glass where I can tap into powers that lie outside of ego control and fully let go of the confines of self and the world around me with child-like spontaneity. My process is not complete, however, until I implement editing skills to critically view the dynamic tension that arises in textures and colors and spatial relationships.

 

I approach my artistic explorations as scientific experiments, arts based research and because of this I identify as an Alchemist. I am most concerned with the transformation of matter, synchronicity, and esoteric knowledge. In addition to my painting practice I have a thriving ritual practice and work with sound using the Himalayan Bowls as a healing and exploratory modality. I am an exploring of archetypal astrology and the deepening knowledge of self. As Above, So Below.

 

I have also worked with neurodivergent artists as a coach and mentor.  Their impact on my life, and therefore my artistic practice, has been profound. Through this work I have explored first hand the value of the dignity of failure, celebrated the beauty of intersectionality and inclusion, and borne witness to the joy that arises simply by allowing space for neurodivergent artists to fully explore their own identity in a safe and inclusive environment

 

 

 

EDUCATION

Expressive Arts Institute,  Expressive Arts Coaching & Consultant Certificate    

Pacifica Graduate Institute, MA Depth Psychology: Engaged Humanities and the Creative Life 

Tulane University School of Law, New Orleans, LA- J.D. (Inactive member of the Colorado Bar)                          

Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA – B.A. German Literature/European History                                                                   

 

 

 

SHOWS, PUBLICATIONS, GRANTS, AWARDS, MEMBERSHIPS:

2020 National Association of Women Artists, NYC, NY.

2020 First Prize in the The Many Faces of Red show.

2019 Synergy Grant Radical Inclusion. Pairing Artist with Autism with Artists in the Community.

2018 50 to Watch Biennial publication juried by the Director of the Oceanside Museum.

2017 If You Can Doodle You Can Paint, by Diane Culhane.  Guest artist.

2016 First Prize in the Local Inspiration show.

2016 First Prize in the Shades of Red show.

 

SOLO/Group Exhibitions

 

2023 It's Just Politics, Recht Gallery, Idyllwild, CA

2023 Climate Reckoning, Feminist Artist Group, Chula Vista, CA

2022 Second Act, Front Porch Gallery, Carlsbad, CA

2021 All Media Show, Irvine Cultural Center, Irvine, CA

2021 Ongoing Group Exhibitions, Laguna Art Gallery, Mission Viejo, CA

2021 Neon Dreams, The Abstract Musings of Flores & Saint Claire, Expressions Gallery, Escondido Arts Partnership,  CA.

2021  Radical Inclusion, The Art of Katie Flores & Amanda Saint Claire, Fresh Paint Gallery, La Jolla, CA.

2021 Embracing Differences, Cobalt Gallery, San Diego, CA.  4 person show highlighting Artists as Mentors & Teachers of Autistic Artists.

2021  The Crocker Kingsley Annual Show, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA.

2020 After Midnight, National Group Show, The Ashton Gallery, San Diego, CA

2020 Laying it Bare, The Art of Redondo and Saint Claire, Two Artist Show. August-September Fresh Paint Gallery, La Jolla, CA 

2020  Socially Distanced, The Artist Alliance, Jen Tough Gallery, Sante Fe, New Mexico.

2020 Solo Rancho, Solo Show, Rancho San Diego Library, San Diego, CA

2020 The Many Faces of Red, Group Show, Ashton Gallery, San Diego, CA

2019-2020 Radical Inclusion:  Better Together, Group Show, Various locations including the Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA and The Lux Art Institute, Encinitas, CA

2019-2020 What She Said, Feminine Image Group, Feminist Image Group, Martha Pace Swift Gallery, SD, CA

2019 Veteran’s Art Show, Art Spark Texas, Austin, TX

2019 In Gold We Trust, National Group Show, Ashton Gallery, CA

2019 Pop Up Show, Tularosa House of Art, San Diego, CA

2019 Recovering the Artist, Return to Hope VIII, Martha Pace Swift Gallery, San Diego, CA

2019 Spring Show, Del Mar Art Center Gallery, Del Mar, CA

2019 ENCINITAS!, Solo show, Culture Brewing, Encinitas, CA

2019 Wild Things, Invitational Pop up, Dogpatch, Jen Tough Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2018 Sugar High, Invitational group show, Jen Tough Gallery, Benicia, CA

2018 International Veterans Art Exhibition (IVAE18), The Australian National Veterans Arts Museum, Sydney, Australia.

2018 Black-Out, National group show, Ashton Gallery, San Diego, CA

2018 After Dark, Group show, Benicia Arts, Benicia, CA

2018 Veteran Artist Program, Group show, Union Hall Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2018 Imagine, Solo show, Faust Gallery, Sante Fe, NM

2018 Art Sante Fe, Opus Collective managed by the Jen Tough Gallery, Benicia, CA

2018 Annual Juried Collective, group show. Front Porch Gallery, Carlsbad, CA

2018 Artist’s in Recovery, Return to Hope VII, Martha Pace Swift Gallery, San Diego, CA

2018 Rebel in the Soul, solo show, Encinitas Civic Center, CA,

2018 50 to Watch, group show, Studio Door & Escondito Arts Partnership

San Diego, CA

2018 CALFIRE Benefit, solo show, Partake Gastropub, Vista, CA

2017 Transcendence, group show, Oceanside Museum of Art at Front Porch 

Gallery, Carlsbad, CA

2017 Wanderlust, group show, Sparks Gallery, San Diego, CA

2017 Orange is the New Black, Ashton Gallery, San Diego, CA

National Show

2017 Open Studios San Diego, Studio Door, San Diego, CA  group show

2017 Conversations with Color, Bonita Museum, San Diego, CA 3 artist show

2016 Best of the Alliance, L Street Gallery, Oceanside Museum of Art, group show

San Diego,CA

2016 Edgar Allan Poe, Ashton Gallery at Art on 30^th, San Diego, CA in conjunction

with the Poe Museum, Richmond, VA. National Show

2016 Beyond the Blue, Ashton Gallery at Art on 30^th, group show, San Diego, CA

2016 Local Inspiration, Ashton Gallery at Art on 30^th, group show, San Diego, CA

2016  Orbital- Agility, Flexibility and Dexterity; Symbiotic Opposites and

Duality–Kupamabana Art Foundation, London, UK, 6 pieces.

2016 Go Figure, Ashton Gallery at Art on 30^th, San Diego, CA

2016 Shades of Red, Vista Chamber of Commerce, CA

 

AWARDS AND PRIZES

 

Best in Show – 2020 --  The Many Faces of Red, San Diego, CA

First Prize –2016 --Local Inspiration, San Diego, CA

First Prize –2016--Shades of Red, Vista, CA