'Never give up!' Leighton Buzzard artist whose studio was destroyed in a fire has rebuilt her business

A determined Leighton Buzzard artist has rebuilt her business after her beloved studio was destroyed during a fire.

Claire Woolhead, 28, hopes to inspire people to never give up, as she has relaunched her company from scratch less than a year after the disaster. In November 2021, her business was one of several that suffered extensive damage during a fire at an industrial estate in Leighton Road, Stanbridge. However, Claire never stopped dreaming, and set about relaunching her studio from day one.

She said: "I had just lost what was my second home, which contained hours upon hours of work across multiple projects. It was the last eight years of my life, along with thousands of every penny I had ever invested into the business turned to sludge, ash and charcoal. I started working the next day after the fire doing business development, probably more due to shock than anything else."

Claire is an abstract artist who works with custom showcar paint, and has had her work exhibited in galleries across the UK. She initially launched her business, Claire Woolhead Art, during lockdown and paints her beautiful designs on thin sheet metal.

Describing the last year, Claire said: "I have been individually researching and contacting companies across 13 different industry sectors. I am now dealing independently as an artist with galleries all over the UK as well as dealing with direct customer commissions. The public response has been fantastic; most people say that the work can only truly be appreciated when it's seen in person under bright light. The support locally and nationally has been overwhelming in the most wonderful ways."

Claire now has a new studio based in Leighton Buzzard, while her long term goal is to help people across the world have basic access to healthcare, education and more.

Claire added: "Art is wonderful release and I believe that tenacity is absolutely essential when starting any new business. The fire is part of my timeline; it was an absolutely horrendous event to go through however I am alive, unburned, but most of all, I am absolutely determined to succeed regardless of the challenges that life may bring. Thank you to anyone that showed any understanding or support through that time."

Visit: https://www.clairewoolhead.com/

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