Meet Clare Asch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clare Asch.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My story begins in a little town in Hungary called Cegled where I was born. My memories on the other hand, begin in Budapest where I lived from age 1 ½ to 8. I have fond memories of playing in the spacious, sunlit apartment with my collection of teddy bears, drawing with my colored pencils and creating tiny clay structures with my mom. Though my memories of Budapest are positive, my parents’ experiences were not. They are both Holocaust survivors and they wanted to leave Hungary and start a new life. Leaving was not an easy option in Soviet era Hungary but after the 1956 Revolution they crossed the border into Austria and eventually made it to the United States.

When we came to the US, I spoke no English. There wasn’t much of a Hungarian community where we lived, so I turned more and more towards a fantasy world. I loved drawing and storytelling and made drawings of my dreams and fantasies. One of my teachers noticed my love of drawing and I was given a scholarship to enroll in art classes at the Brooklyn Museum.

My first day at the Brooklyn Museum was magical. It was like entering a parallel universe. The art classrooms were just off the hall from the main exhibits and I felt really special walking through the door that led there. It was a very sensuous experience with the colors and smells of the art materials. I soon realized that I had found my calling. I proceeded to study art at the High School of Music and Art and the Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture. I got married in my junior year at Cooper and moved to Massachusetts and received my BFA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and eventually got my MFA from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.

In the meantime, I raised two wonderful children. My daughter Rebecca, who is a scientist who studies the effect of climate change on the oceans and my son Marc who is an immigration and labor lawyer. Marc’s office, the Law Office of Marc Asch is in Kalamazoo, Michigan and my daughter is an Assistant Professor in the fisheries department at Eastern Carolina University. I’m very proud of both of them.

Currently I have a studio at the Waltham Mills Artists Association. It’s an old mill building with a lot of personality, some wonderful fellow artists and an excellent place to make art.

Please tell us about your art.
I’m very experimental in my art making. Most of my work is abstract but I also love painting from observation. Water and fluidity fascinate me. I use watercolors and flued acrylics in a loose spontaneous way but I also have a need for structure. My recent paintings have been an exploration of circular shapes. In my watercolors and acrylic paintings, I start out with a circle which is divided into geometric sections. Each section is painted very loosely but I also maintain the crisp edges of the geometric shapes. It’s the tension and harmony between the spontaneous paint and the more structured elements that fascinate me. For me painting is meditative and experiential and I hope it’s the same for the viewer.

We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Being an artist can be lonely and challenging but it is also immensely rewarding. One way to deal with the loneliness is by joining with other artists through a studio in an artist’s building or by joining a co-op gallery. Social media can also create new opportunities that were not there years ago. If you love doing your art, just keep doing it!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work can be seen at Galatea Fine Art in Boston. I have just had my third one person show at Galatea this June and I’m currently in a group show there called The New England Collective which will be showing till the end of August. https://www.galateafineart.com/

I will be participating in this year’s ARTcetera Auction. ARTcetera is a biennial fund raiser to benefit the Aids Action Committee. It will take place in October at the Castle at Park Plaza in Boston. Some past donated artwork has been by world famous artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Annie Liebowitz and Dale Chihuly. https://artceteraboston.org/discover-artc-history/

I will also be participating in the Waltham Mills Artists Association Open Studios which will be held in the first weekend of November. https://walthammillsopenstudios.com/

Please stop by to visit my studio which is on the third floor of building 4.

Contact Info:

• Address: 144 Moody St. building 4
  Waltham. MA 02451
• Website: www.clareaschstudio.com
• Phone: 617-653-8060
• Email: clare@clareaschstudio.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/aschclare
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clare.asch

Image Credit:
Myk Ostrawsky, Clare Asch, David Lee Black

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.