A Little Background

Claire Mangasarian has completed courses at the University of Wisconsin Madison in drawing, life drawing, painting, etching, 3D design, color, calligraphy and book design. She has been a member of the Madison Watercolor Society since 2002 and has participated in numerous exhibits of the Watercolor Society, Artful Women and Wisconsin Regional Artists Association.

Although Claire does paint some figurative and abstract works, her representational still life paintings, Interior scenes and landscapes are her main focus. Claire's watercolor painting, "Michelangelo's Coffee House", illustrating the theme, Urban and Rural Landscapes, was selected for the 2018 Dane Arts Calendar for the month of February. Claire's still-life painting, "Reflection", was selected for Watercolor Wisconsin 2018, held at the Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI, from December 9, 2018 to April 20, 2019.

In 2017, Claire's children's book, "The Shoes of Abu Kassim", was listed for purchase on the website of Kindle Direct Publishing. In this paperback book, which she had printed locally in 2000, Claire retells an ancient tale from the Arabian Nights and illustrates the story with more than 20 watercolor paintings.

Some of Claire's figurative paintings were inspired by a special event or theme for a show. "The Deciders" was her entry for the Wisconsin Watercolor Society's show entitled Borders and Barriers. "Citizens Excluded" relates to money in politics. "Miss Wisconsin" commemorates the statue's 100th year atop Wisconsin's capitol building. "Mount Wisconsin" honors 4 Wisconsin environmental advocates: Gaylord Nelson, Wilhelmine LaBudde, Aldo Leopold and John Muir.

Claire grew up in Massachusetts and has childhood memories of the splendor of fall foliage and roadside stands aglow with bushels of rosy red apples and mountains of neon-orange pumpkins. Her autumn still life paintings attest to that fond memory.

If you would like to contact Claire with any questions or comments, you can reach her at the following email address:

ClaireMangasarian@gmail.com