Claire Loon Baldwin is a natural science illustrator and designer based in Maine, specializing in watercolor botanicals, wild foods, and biodiverse landscapes.
Claire's art is informed by her experience working in state and national parks across the US. Between 2012 and 2018, Claire worked at lodges in Glacier National Park in Montana, and North Cascades National Park in Washington. She went on to work as an environmental educator in the redwood forests of California, and with the park service in Grand Canyon. In Grand Canyon National Park, her roles included Field School volunteer, Youth Conservation Core and Vegetation Crew Lead, and interpretive park ranger. From backpacking trips through alpine meadows, to rim-to-rim hikes across Grand Canyon, Claire's sketchbook was her constant companion as she explored.
Claire began her arts education in a rigorous four-year high school program before completing two years of undergraduate studies at the Tyler School of Art. Her passion for human rights then led her to the University of Maryland, where she earned a self-designed B.F.A. in Maternal and Child Health Equity in 2016. In 2023, she completed an intensive Visual Design certificate program with General Assembly.
In 2018, Claire created Grand Canyon National Park's centennial poster series. Since then, she's continued to create environmentally-oriented art with prominent clients including DK Publishing and Penguin Random House, Down East Magazine, and the Boston Globe.
When not in her studio, Claire spends as much time as she can exploring the coast and mountains of Maine. She teaches classes with museums, nonprofits, and educational institutions that weave together art and the environment. She is available for client work and representation.
Notable Clients:
DK Publishing and Penguin Random House, the Illustration Institute, Grand Canyon National Park, Down East Magazine, The Nature Conservancy of Maine, the Maine Audubon Society, the Rhode Island School of Design, Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, the Boston Globe, Western Confluence, BabyBug Magazine and Cricket Media
Testimonials
"Claire is an incredibly gifted artist and illustrator. It was an absolute pleasure to work with her on creating illustrations for the cookbook Live Free, Eat Well by Adam Glick here at DK/Penguin Random House. The beautiful endpapers she designed and the ten chapter opening illustrations she created add such a beautiful element to the book which took it to the next level. I could not recommend working with Claire enough!"
~ Alexander Rigby, Executive Editor at DK
"I have so deeply enjoyed Claire's six week landscape class, and developed tons of new skills for working with watercolor and ink. She provided knowledgeable instruction, and nurtured appreciation for the creative process, not just results. I look forward to taking her next classes!"
~ Brittney H., student at Merrymeeting Community and Adult Education in Topsham, ME
"Claire put together such a focused and productive workshop! The students were vocal in their appreciation of the clarity of Claire's approach and felt that she’d given them both a foundation from which to practice using color in their field drawings and the confidence to dive in. It was a great workshop and we’re very happy to have had the chance to work with Claire, and look forward to future collaborations."
~ Ann Kearsley RLA, MLAUD
Critic, Landscape Architecture Department at the Rhode Island School of Design
"Claire did a nature sketchbook workshop at our library and she was amazing! We heard such nice things about her from the participants and she's a very encouraging teacher. Highly recommend!"
~ Sasha Kohan,
Community Engagement Librarian, Thomas Memorial Library
Affiliations
Process, Materials, and Techniques
Claire Loon Baldwin's creative process always begins with seeking inspiration from nature.
She uses watercolor and ink, and has spent years developing her materials and techniques. To meet the demands of fast-paced editorial work, she integrates digital techniques into her process, ensuring speed without compromising quality or detail.
Claire’s favorite tools include tried and tested waterproof inks, specialized cleaners, and hot-press watercolor paper that captures intricate fractal paint details. See her list of materials, techniques, and watch video tutorials, check out her blog.
Claire Loon Baldwin formerly worked under the name Claire Luce Baldwin.
Claire updated her 'pen name' to Claire Loon Baldwin in 2023. As her creative practice grew, she want to have a name that distinguished her business self from her personal self, and reflected her love for nature.
Anyone who's heard loons calling across a starlit Maine lake knows that these birds are a go-between for our world and the next. And that's what inspires Claire's work: the sublime and sometimes otherworldly beauty of nature.