Awaken Your Aura, An Interview With Artist Claire Buckley

FP Movement: You come from the fashion world, how do you think that impacts the way you approach your artwork, especially when designing in tandem with a brand?

Claire Buckley: I was lucky enough that I was able to kind of see firsthand what goes into creating a fashion collection, or even a fashion brand. You're describing a whole woman that you don't know even before you design a piece. So I feel like I kind of have taken that approach into my work. I think a lot about a vibe and a mood before I create. I am thinking through those more abstract things before I actually paint, which I think is done a lot in fashion.

FPM: What did the transition from social media work to being a full-time artist look like? How did you decide to make the jump?

CB: It’s obviously a little terrifying and a big risk. I was lucky enough that I kind of had this knowledge of working in corporate social media, fashion, and marketing, so I was able to market myself and my work well, which I think is a huge advantage. A lot of artists don't have that background. I was just painting whenever I could find the time outside of my full-time job, and I didn't quit until I had a full business around my art. I was lucky enough that I had built a really strong collector base and was able to take the leap and not feel too scared.

FPM: Can you walk us through the inspiration for the piece you made for the Salomon for FP Movement collaboration?

CB: This piece stemmed from the idea of capturing an aura, something that you can't typically touch or see, but can feel. In my practice, the idea of capturing an aura is not something that I set out to do, but it is something that I hear people use to describe my work often, and I love that, because to me, it means an energy or a vibe that can't be described with words, it's just an intuitive feeling.

FPM: The backdrop you’ve created for this campaign is so rich and fluid, how much of painting something like this stems from strategy and how much do you feel out with your brush strokes?

CB: I go into a painting with really no plan other than the colors I want to use. I feel like if I ever have a certain outcome in my head or something I'm trying really hard to do, it never turns out the way you want and you just end up with disappointment. Instead, I’ve learned to let myself play, let myself be super… honestly childlike in my process. Because that's when I feel like the most magic comes out. I just really let the colors guide me.

FPM: What does “aura” mean to you as an artist? How did the idea of “aura” inspire the colors and gradients you chose for this piece?

CB: When I was thinking about the idea of capturing an aura, I wanted to represent not just one feeling, but the multitudes that we can feel as people, even in a single day. So I included a mix of the soft pastels and the lavenders and the pinks to represent a peaceful and calm aura, and juxtaposed that with the saturated and bold oranges and yellows to represent the joy and fearlessness.

FPM: Can you walk us through your process of bringing this piece to life?

CB: This is the largest piece I have done so far in my career. It's 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. It basically took up my entire studio, and despite the size and uncertainty I kind of felt going into it, I followed my typical process of painting intuitively with no real plan other than the colors I knew I wanted to include. I worked on the entire piece at once, rather than small sections, so I was moving up and down and side to side throughout the entire process.

FPM: How does movement show up in your work or creative process?

CB: Movement is absolutely key in my painting process. The way I move while I'm painting can shift the entire energy of a piece. And for this piece specifically, I had to use my entire body.