About

Claire Widman is an illustrator based in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. The village, which sits along the Hudson River about 25 miles north of Manhattan, influences much of the art that Claire has created over the last decade. Her drawings of local landmarks, monsters with big hearts, farm animals—and even the Headless Horseman himself—are inspired by the wonder that permeates the community where she lives.  

Claire began her professional career back in 2000 as an intern in Nickelodeon's animation department for the show "Blue's Clues." She went on to a traditional animation studio, J.J Sedelmaier Productions, where she worked on shorts for “Saturday Night Live”, Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." After six years, Claire jumped from traditional to digital art, working at a startup creating everything from eCards to avatars. Currently, Claire is an associate design director for the global advertising agency R/GA.

In addition, Claire has taught drawing classes for children, held art shows featuring her lovable monsters, and provided illustrations for various marketing campaigns. She also paints murals.

 So what’s with the monsters, you ask? 

One night, I sat down and asked the universe what I should draw. Out of my pencil came a monster. In the subsequent years, hundreds of childlike creatures popped onto paper. These monster characters represent each of us as we navigate the emotional struggles on our individual journeys and learn to help each other while being true to ourselves. The drawings are meant to capture the vast spectrum of feelings, be it light-hearted and uplifting or grappling with sorrow and disappointment.  They reflect the everyday experiences of being a soul exploring this world.