ABOUT CLAUDIA

Now, Claudia lives in yet another country setting in New Plymouth, Idaho. Her travels have taught her that “home” is truly where the heart is. She cherishes the opportunities she had to visit distant countries and cultures; but now her desire is to document the warm feelings these places gave. That need is stronger than the travel itself. She has found that the ability to find beauty and simplicity in the world can be achieved without climbing the highest peaks. The passion for life can be found within the miniscule things. She desires to share that thought by constantly painting her stories into the pictures and on canvases. Down a dirt lane and away from the mainstream, Claudia continues to enjoy life and paint. Sitting in her barn studio, she paints, looking out of a window that frames a panoramic view of the mountain where it all began.

Her artistic side developed slowly. With her mother’s Singer, she sewed intricate doll clothes and hand puppets from scrap material. Her first retail exchange occurred when she sold her creations to second grade classmates for fifteen cents! She also recalls making her first portrait in the second grade. The assignment was to draw a community leader and to say what was special about that person. She drew Irene Poe, who was both her Sunday school teacher and Sweet’s Post Mistress. Although this simple lady did not wear jewelry, Claudia decked her out. Mrs. Poe showcased these wares in the post office, so Claudia’s interpretation of that Sweet lady included bangles and dangles. The portrait remained in Irene’s hope chest for the remainder of her life. Later, her seventh/eighth grade teacher taught her how to grid and shade pictures, rekindling her love to draw.

As for other creatures: countless pets abounded in the Swander household: hamsters, chipmunks, magpies, guinea pig, cats, dogs, and even a blind cow. An instamatic camera was one of her first independent purchases, and she toted it everywhere. Thus, at the age of 12, she began to fill albums and shoe boxes with photographs of farm and family themes. So began a life-long ambition of story -telling through images. The photos that documented the events of Claudia’s childhood continue to be imprinted within the canvas threads of her paintings.

Claudia’s high school years ended the multi-classroom settings and isolated student environment. Yet it still had limited opportunities to foster her art desire. A ninth grade Arts and Crafts class introduced her to pastels and the concept of perspective; and no other art classes existed. The encyclopedia was her internet; and therein contained ideas for school projects and posters. When Claudia expressed a desire to major in art after she graduated, she got a mix of opinions. Her grandmother told her she lacked a love of reading deep enough to succeed in higher education. Her father reminded her that girls could make a living solely by being teachers, secretaries, and nurses. Her mother just suggested that education corrupted (as she was passionately religious), and marriage was the way to go. Thus were the choices of a girl growing up in the 1960’s.

College, marriage, and parenting took precedent for the next 25 years. Her first official art classes, impressionable and enlightening, was from Del Gish at Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho. Following two years of general studies, she married her childhood neighbor. Rae Klingback had always been a constant presence at the Swander ranch. Both of Claudia’s older sisters had crushes on him, and her older brother was his best friend. The newlyweds made Emmett their home. She forged on to finish her Bachelors of Elementary Education at BSU, with an Art Specialty endorsement K-12. Whenever possible, an art class was squeezed in: Louis Peck and Gaye Hoops from Boise State, hobby-painting housewives from various locations, and occasional workshops. Three children were born in the 1970”s, changing her priorities and goals yet again. As a result, her roles fluctuated from school teacher to housewife and mother. When teaching, her children entered drawing contests; and when she was a volunteer, she organized Art Mom programs within the schools. Whether it be at the kitchen counter or in the basement corner, she always found a place and time to paint.

Then, unexpectedly, her husband died of a sudden heart attack in 1994, and life was drastically altered. It began with an identity crisis, evolved to changing her name, and drifted onto geographic moves. Although she reclaimed her maiden name, her art signature reflects her husband’s undying support for her passion. When her children became adults and “flew the coop,” Claudia packed her bags too. In Atlanta, Idaho, she taught school, where she was surrounded with the majesty of the outdoors. There she told her students that they were making memories; and many of those memories found their places onto colorful canvases. With her camera in her backpack, she snowmobiled and four-wheeled beyond the end of roads and into some of Idaho’s most beautiful settings. Next, she spent several seasons on a sailboat, traveling the Caribbean. She sat at anchor in Grenada painting the shoreline and took lessons from a local artist in Trinidad. Entwined within moves, she showed her art at various venues and galleries. She was a guest speaker for such groups as college-bound students and civic groups. With a dear friend, she spent five months in Oxford, England, walking the Oxford canal and painting scenes of places she visited. Many other world adventures followed, and she continued to paint the wonders that her eyes beheld.

Then, unexpectedly, her husband died of a sudden heart attack in 1994, and life was drastically altered. It began with an identity crisis, evolved to changing her name, and drifted onto geographic moves. Although she reclaimed her maiden name, her art signature reflects her husband’s undying support for her passion. When her children became adults and “flew the coop,” Claudia packed her bags too. In Atlanta, Idaho, she taught school, where she was surrounded with the majesty of the outdoors.

There she told her students that they were making memories; and many of those memories found their places onto colorful canvases. With her camera in her backpack, she snowmobiled and four-wheeled beyond the end of roads and into some of Idaho’s most beautiful settings. Next, she spent several seasons on a sailboat, traveling the Caribbean. She sat at anchor in Grenada painting the shoreline and took lessons from a local artist in Trinidad. Entwined within moves, she showed her art at various venues and galleries. She was a guest speaker for such groups as college-bound students and civic groups. With a dear friend, she spent five months in Oxford, England, walking the Oxford canal and painting scenes of places she visited. Many other world adventures followed, and she continued to paint the wonders that her eyes beheld.

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