Josh Clare
Josh Clare’s paintings are testaments to timelessness. They simultaneously give the impression that we are standing outside watching the clouds roll by while also giving the feeling that they have permanently preserved a classic moment in time. Through an impressionist’s deft brushwork and a knack for distilling a scene’s details into a cohesive combination of color, texture and light, Clare has brought the world a refreshing take on landscape and architectural painting.
Clare’s calling as an artist was not easy to come by, given his upbringing in rural Utah. He did not have easy access to the world of fine art. However, he grew up with an innate desire to explore his creativity. He was rarely without a paper and pencil throughout his youth. It wasn’t until beginning his college career at Brigham Young University – Idaho that he first picked up a paintbrush. Soon after, he would visit an art gallery for the first time. He was hooked. Clare graduated with a BFA in Illustration in 2007. Shortly thereafter he earned his first gallery representation. In 2010 he was honored as one of Southwest Art Magazine's “21 Under 31” artists to watch. Ever since, awards and feature articles in fine art magazines have come regularly.
The passion that Clare has for his profession is immediately apparent in his art. He says, “I want to see more clearly, I want to comprehend more fully and I want to help others do the same. That is why I paint.” His goal is to chase beauty, to capture moments and places that take our breath away. Clare has a way of communicating elaborate details with one single brushstroke, of giving the impression that hundreds of leaves or an entire bend in the river are present in one tiny area of each painting. He says, “I’m trying to get a really complicated, interesting surface where the complexity and beauty rival that of nature itself.” Again and again, he suceeds.
Clare resides in Paradise, Utah with his wife Cambree and their five children. His studio is in a separate building, adjacent to their home. Inside, he has space devoted to painting on three levels, an impressive collection of art books for education and inspiration and views of the pristine Utah valley and mountains that surround their home.
