We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Caitlin Clifford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Caitlin, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
I don’t know if this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, but it was meaningful and important. When I was an undergraduate studying painting, my favorite professor, who would travel from New York City to our upstate school to teach, once showed up at my studio with a large tube of titanium white Williamsburg Paint. I knew it was very expensive, I could never have afforded it and I couldn’t believe he was giving it to me. He said, “Caitlin, you’re a painter and you should always invest in an expensive tube of white paint.” Now, when painting students of mine graduate, I have been known to gift them a tube of Williamsburg paint.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a Brooklyn based artist with a studio in the Hudson Valley. I completed my undergraduate degree at SUNY New Paltz and received my MFA from Brooklyn College. I have sixteen years of teaching experience and currently work as a visual arts instructor at an independent upper school for students with language-based learning disabilities.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Yes! New York Foundation for the Arts is a wonderful resource for artists and resartis.org for residency opportunities.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I love learning and exploring. I think that’s what continues to drive my creative journey, both my studio practice and my desire to teach what I know.
Contact Info:
- Website: caitlinjclifford.com
- Instagram: caitlin.j.clifford
Image Credits
My work, my photos.