by Claire Pinney (Author)
This beautifully illustrated book is an introduction to the poetry and paintings of Claire Pinney. Claire creates pictures to tell a story of our time, both in poetry and in paint, of life as she perceives it but with a gentle twist that reflects on some of the little absurdities and ironies of the human condition. Her work has been described as endearing, charming, wistful, amusing and quirky.
Author Biography
Written and illustrated by Claire Pinney, Poetry Comic No.1 is an introduction to a series, bringing together Claire's cartoons, paintings and poems. Claire's career began in a cake shop in St Albans, Hertfordshire. She progressed from jam doughnuts to rum babas but her life was changed forever by the Russian slices. She studied Russian and Soviet Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London. In 1991 she was ready to tuck into the next layer of adventure and set off to live in the Soviet Union. When the USSR collapsed shortly after her arrival, she experienced at first hand the challenges faced by ordinary people in the crumbling Soviet empire. Claire lived in Minsk until 1994 and frequently returns to Belarus to visit friends. Settling back in England, she worked at a project for homeless women for 7 years, trained as a spiritual director, studied theology and generally tried to figure out what to do with herself. Finally she graduated from London Met with a degree in Fine Art and won the University's Purchase Prize. Claire set up the Crypt Gallery at St Pancras Church, London and was its Director for 12 years. During this time she also played a part in developing a small charity called PSALM, which brings creative workshops to older people, carrying the strapline "taking ageing and faith seriously". Claire has a studio in St Albans and currently works as an administrator in Westminster. Her life and daily commute provide endless material for her imagination to work with. Her artwork has been bought by the Hertfordshire County Art Collection (a resource for Hertfordshire schools), she has illustrated two Kindle books and has exhibited her paintings in galleries across the UK. Prints of the pictures included in this volume, plus many more, can be purchased via Claire's website: www.clairepinney.co.uk