Lyla Clayre is a watercolor artist based in New Orleans.

I was born in Northern California and earned a BFA in Illustration from California College of the Arts. After graduating, I relocated to New Orleans and began creating watercolors inspired by the city’s iconic architecture and Louisiana’s lush landscapes. 

Much of my artwork is painted on location in the tradition of Impressionist painters, capturing the feeling of place and time. Watercolors as a medium encourage improvisation and spontaneity, which lends itself to a place that is constantly shifting.

Describe your art in three words. Texture, femininity, realism

Describe yourself in one word. Sensitive

What do you love the most about creating art in New Orleans? What particular part of your immediate environment, in your neighborhood specifically influences your work? Somewhere between the brightly colored houses, the Spanish moss, the humid air, the brass bands, and dancing in the street, I fell in love with New Orleans. It's a unique position to be a creator in a city with so much diversity, so much devastation, and a great amount of resilience. I love to watch the barges pass by on the Mississippi and to hear the train's whistle as it rumbles by. The closeness of my quiet neighborhood to the industrial systems which maintain our human world is a reminder of how small this city is.

Describe your creative process. Are there any rituals or rites of passage you exercise before you begin a new piece? Working on location I draw my inspiration from direct observation. I see shapes and make marks with my brush, and I love to see the tension between realism and abstraction.

Where do you draw inspiration? The people and places around me inspire my work. I try to capture movement in a two-dimensional object. Music inspires my work as well, and I always have WWOZ playing on my radio in my studio when I am painting.

Who are your artistic influences or gurus? I love the Impressionist painters. It was studying Art History that originally sparked my passion for painting, and Monet's use of color has always fascinated and inspired me. My work is also very influenced by my Waldorf education, which involved a lot of wet-on-wet watercolor painting and discouraged outlines and the use of black.

All works listed online are available to be viewed at Where Y’Art Gallery by appointment.

The Glitter Box

Zele NOLA

Lucy Rose 534 Chartres St

The Exchange Shop at Hermann - Grima House 820 St Louis St

Palmer Park 2300 S Carrollton

Work will ship within 7 -10 days of payment being processed via USPS Priority Mail for prints, Fedex for original art purchases.

For international shipping prices, rush orders or commissions, login in and send me a private message through the messaging tool on my profile page.