About Claire Mills
I'm a colour pencil artist and work from my studio in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire with my 'assistant' Peggy, an English Cocker Spaniel. My drawings are highly detailed and sensitive - paying homage to my passion for companion animals.
Bright eyed dogs, watchful cats and much missed pets are all brought to life with thousands of layered pencil strokes – capturing not just a likeness of the animal but also expressing their vibrancy, spirit and character.
I have created many commissioned pet portraits. Each piece involves hours of practiced technique that plays to the strength of this medium – fine art pencils that capture fur texture, eye colour and the smallest of details that make each pet unique.
As a child, I could often be found doodling and crafting. I have a BA Hons in Three-Dimensional Design, specialising in Ceramics & Glass, from the University of Central England and successfully ran my own arts & crafts business for nearly 10 years. After a break from fine art of many years and harbouring a secret desire to explore the possibilities of drawing - I attended evening classes at a local arts centre, where I fell in love with the potential and unique attributes of colour pencils.
While my drawing technique is largely self-taught, I enjoy participating in a range of workshops and creative events to further my skills and develop my use of other media. I am currently exploring work with gouache paint and watercolour pencils.
I am a member of the UK Coloured Pencil Society and was juried into their Open Annual Exhibitions in 2018 and 2020. UKCPS is an organisation dedicated to promoting excellence in coloured pencils as a fine art medium. My work has been published in the books CP Hidden Treasures Volume 4 and 6, in addition to featuring in Ann Kulberg's COLOR magazine.
