Rising Stars: Meet Claire Chesnut

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Chesnut.

Hi Claire, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Las Vegas. Ever since I could pick up a pencil, I’ve been drawing portraits.

Even as a child, I loved using portraiture to express my feelings and experiences and that is something that’s never changed. I moved to Cedar City in 2017 to pursue theatre arts at SUU and eventually switched my educational focus to graphic design and art history.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I found myself struggling and no longer attending university. Working a corporate food service job during the height of 2020 felt soul-crushing, so I decided to take a risk and quit my job to start my own art business. Flash forward to today, and I’m still running this business full time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There is no smooth experience as an artist in the creative process and in the business aspect. Running an art business can be very volatile, especially since most of my business is through Twitter. That means fighting algorithms to have your artwork and marketing exposed to wider audiences.

I’ve been lucky to build a hearty following on Twitter, but it can get exhausting staying on top of the algorithm so it’s important to set boundaries with social media. Learning how to run my own business has been an obstacle as well but with time and research, it has been beautiful to learn how to be the boss. As far as the creative process goes, the pressure to produce a hefty portfolio consistently can become overwhelming.

I’ve found it’s key to remember to rest, the creative brain cannot produce quality work when it’s running on fumes. Taking time to research other artists and mediums is a great way to stay inspired while also taking time to step away from my own work to recharge. In this business, there will be slow months and fast months so it’s important to take time preparing, planning, and setting goals for myself.

It can be a difficult journey, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a portrait artist that specializes in digital and graphite media. My background is in traditional 2D and 3D media, but I’ve found working on my iPad has been my favorite. When I’m not working digitally with Procreate, I love to work with graphite, color pencils, and sometimes watercolor and needle felting.

My main focus has always been portraiture, but I also love architectural studies and exploring how to depict the energy that can consume a space. I think the thing that draws most people to my work is my ability to express deep, unexplainable emotions and thoughts. Being able to connect with strangers around the world through these personal feelings I convey through my art is something I’m very proud of and appreciative of.

My artistic journey has been a way for me to cope with existence and all of the experiences that come with existing as the years go by. With that being said, something that I feel sets my artwork apart from other creatives is that my style consistently evolves and changes as I have these experiences, but my work stays recognizable as a Claire Chesnut creation.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Growing up and to this day, my parents have always been involved and interested in my artistic creations which has meant so much to me over the years. I also must thank my best friend and partner Eli Wrankle.

As an incredible musician and a person who grew up in a family of artists, he understands what it means to be a creator and has done so much to push me, support me, and help me.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without Eli, he believes in me and gave me the courage to believe in myself.

Contact Info:

• Email: clairechesnutdesign@gmail.com
• Website: clairechesnutart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairechesnutart/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/honeydripppers?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
• Other: https://artistsourced.com/collections/claire-chesnut