Clare Schouten Fine Art

My Story I am an abstract and semi-abstract painter working primarily with landscapes. My art is rooted in my local surroundings and shaped by emotional responses—both to what I see and what I remember. Each piece becomes a visual echo of experience, filtered through feeling. My creative process is intuitive and playful. I work with a sense of liberation, where there are no mistakes—only discovery, joy, and presence. Through layering, mark-making, and the use of tactile materials like oil paint, acrylics, texture gels, and pastels, I build rich surfaces that are as textural as they are visual. Scenic views inspire me, but I reimagine them using heightened hues and expressive gesture to evoke atmosphere and emotional resonance. What I value most in my practice is the sense of escape and aliveness it brings. If a painting feels whole—if it resonates emotionally—then that is enough. My aim is not just to express the beauty I find in nature, but to offer viewers a moment of reflection and emotional connection through an abstract and semi-abstract lens that celebrates colour, mood, and memory. My Rain series reflects on my years in Singapore, where the monsoon season brought a sense of peace and introspection. The warm rains offered a rhythm that allowed for reflection and healing. Through abstracted landscapes in oil and acrylic, I capture the emotional essence of those rains—serenity, release, and renewal. This series marked a shift in my practice, embracing softness, fluidity, and emotional depth. In Fall, I explore the connection between water and emotion. Just as waterfalls flow, crash, and reform, our feelings move in waves—restless and ever-changing. Through dynamic, abstract depictions of falling water, I invite viewers to reflect on their own emotional currents and the beauty found in movement, vulnerability, and transformation.