Claudine Carmel – Creator of Colorful, Peaceful Worlds Through Art, Illustration and Writing

Margaret Millmore | Posted on February 27, 2021 |

Claudine Carmel grew up in the quaint seaside town of Bournemouth on the south coast of England. Spending her childhood on the coast ignited her love of the ocean, and she feels that she’s at her best when living near the water. As she said, “I find it calming, healing and my main source of inspiration for my artwork.”

She was raised in a creative household—her mother, a florist by trade with an imaginative flair, would spend weekends and holidays with Claudine and her sister, doing arts and crafts, inspiring them to try new creative hobbies and art mediums. Those childhood experiences drove her to learn how to draw and paint, and she’s been doing it ever since.

It wasn’t just art that inspired Claudine, when she wasn’t painting, drawing or doing crafts, she and her father would watch movies. She loved the idea of working in the film industry as a screenwriter, utilizing her visual senses to create stories. This inspired her to study multimedia at Bournemouth and Poole College, and film production at the Arts Institute of Bournemouth, and later, screenwriting at the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking.

Screenwriting was a gateway for Claudine, and inspired her to write stories, which have spanned many genres and formats. She’s written three illustrated children’s books, two of which won the Best Indie Kids’ Books of 2014 and 2015 by Kirkus Reviews: Lucy Lick-Me-Not and the Day Eaters: A Birthday Story (The fantastic tales of Lucy Lick-Me-Not Book 1), Lucy Lick-Me-Not and the Greedy Gubbins: A Christmas Story (The fantastic tales of Lucy Lick-Me-Not Book 2), and Journey (a ballooning adventure). In addition to her artwork, she’s currently working on a novel for adults, a novel for children and several picture books.

Claudine came to America when she was just 24, and spent a decade living in California, attending school in San Francisco as well as living in Santa Monica. Although she enjoyed life in the larger vibrant communities, she longed for a more intimate seaside setting to call home. She had read many books on the coastal island towns of the Pacific Northwest and was contemplating a move when an accidental fall caused a spinal break, which put her in a debilitated state for some time. The fall was the catapult for her, she needed a more peaceful environment to heal and recover. Moving to Bainbridge Island in 2016 with her beloved Boston Terrier, Murphy, Claudine found the tranquil, natural environment the perfect place to heal her injuries and inspire her artistic mind.

Her artwork is eclectic and varied, ranging from nautical whimsy, book illustrations, seascapes, pet portraits, impressionist skies and her newest multi-layered resin art. However, one thing is pervasive throughout her work—vibrant colors infusing the landscapes and the inhabitants of the land and sea with air, water, ocean and sky. There is an impression of movement and harmony in her work, creating a feeling of serenity to those that view her pieces. Claudine hand mixes her pigments, using only non-toxic museum-conservation grade epoxy resin, which seals and protects each piece, preserving it for a life-time.

Her pieces are currently available at the Artifacts Gallery in Carmel, California, as well as her website, Claudine Carmel, Author, Artist, Illustrator. In addition, two of her paintings will be featured in an online show, which begins on March 1^st through the Colors of Humanity Art Gallery.

Aside from the novels she’s working on, Claudine is designing a new series of paintings inspired by Bainbridge Island and continuing her work on her multi-layered resin art. To keep up with her, follow her on Facebook and Instagram.