CLAIRE HARRIGAN RSW was born in Kilmarnock in 1964. She grew up with both parents as art teachers and painters – her mother, Elspeth Harrigan, a respected botanical artist and her father, James Harrigan, the acclaimed landscape artist. Her childhood environment was full of creative stimulation and inspiration.
Claire studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1982 – 86 graduating BA Hons in Fine Art (Drawing and Painting).

Her painting style is vibrant and bold in use of colour with a high key palette a permanent feature of her work. She paints distinctively with colour and abstract elements working well together in clever and mature compositions. She uses predominantly mixed media with acrylic, watercolour or gouache as a base platform upon which to build imagery in collage, pastel or other media.

The key characteristics of my work are colour and light. I am not trying to recreate what is there, and although the subject matter is important as the instigator of the painting, gradually it becomes less significant as the emphasis changes to composing with colour, shape and texture.