Daily Inspiration: Meet Claudia Gifford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudia Gifford.

Hi Claudia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I grew up outside Nashville, and have been working with some type of art my whole life. After starting as an art major and changing to Interior Design, I graduated from UT and worked for my Dad for 10 years. He owned an architectural business that specialized in residential homes and I learned so much working in a small business.

When my husband and I started a family, I was blessed to be able to stay at home with our 2 sons for the next 12 years. During this time, I started doing portraits and giving my time volunteering in the community and our son’s school. I think my favorite part of this era was being the Cub Scout leader for both of our sons. It was so much fun and it sparked my love for anything in nature, which is a large part of my life today! As our sons got older, I knew I wanted to have a job outside the home and I started searching for what I love to do, surprisingly it was not in the art field. I wanted to be a pediatric nurse and I had always loved anything medical.

I had volunteered at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, through Junior League, and I was amazed at the dedication of these nurses and doctors. So, at age 40, I went back to college and got my nursing degree in 3 years. I had no idea what a challenge this was going to be! My family was super supportive, but I studied all the time. I had my books on camping trips, at ballgames, on beach trips, and wherever I was. After graduation, I worked as a pediatric nurse in NICU and later in the recovery surgical area for 20 years at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. I loved every minute of it and I met so many dear nurse friends, doctors, precious patients, and families!

After I retired, the artistic side of my brain decided it needed to come to life again. Except for college, I had never taken art classes so I am considered a self-taught artist. One of my favorite artistic expressions is something I began years ago. In 1985, I started designing and water coloring personalized characters in the shape of letters for children’s name signs. I have done these for so long, that I am now doing 2nd generation name signs! These whimsical letter characters, which I call Letter Friends, led to a 2-year project that a friend and I started during Covid. We wrote a children’s book and I illustrated it.

The name of it is “A book about Virtues, Letter Friends”. Our mission was to help children understand virtues, and introduce virtues into their everyday lives. It has been quite a learning process, and it has made me appreciate any book that has ever been published. We have also been invited into some of our local elementary schools to read our books and do school programs about writing and publishing books. This has made it all worth it!

Now, I spend time in my home studio doing paintings of all types. I guess I’m still trying to find my style, I became a certified Tennessee Naturist and part of those classes was volunteering. I chose a wonderful place called Owl’s Hill Sanctuary, which is a 300-acre wildlife sanctuary that does hikes for school children, classes, and education. My favorite thing to do above all is visit our family and grandchildren in Washington State and Long Island NY.

A thought to end this story: “Everyone is an artist, but as we become adults, we often lose the confidence that we are all incredibly creative. Art is in the eye of the beholder; go out and create!”

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel the road has been smooth with hills, valleys, and a lot of turns. In retrospect, I feel that I am doing what God has planned for my life.

I sometimes wonder if I should have gone back to school when our sons were at a critical part in their lives. My husband most certainly carried the load during that period and I am forever grateful for his support and our son’s support.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am probably most known for my personalized children’s name signs, which I have been designing and painting for over 35 years. I love working with the parent or the person giving the gift and finding out all about their child and family. I try to incorporate pets, favorite colors, interests, schools, etc in each painting. I have also loved to paint informal portraits of groups of people; at dances, having coffee, or at the beach. These are usually painted from my imagination in oil or acrylic and are quite fun with a lot of humor.

I especially love commission paintings, usually landscapes. I love projects and my favorite part is the designing of the paintings, deciding the size, the color scheme, etc. One of my very favorite commission projects was designing, painting, and framing 11 large paintings for a rehab center outside Nashville.

They needed to be rural landscapes around Tennessee, so this became a year of finding subjects and painting. I always appreciate anyone willing to trust me with their art. It is such an honor and a privilege to have my art hung in someone’s home or office!

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people do not know that I took ballet until I was 18. Most people do not know that I drew house plans and kitchen layouts for a residential architectural firm after college.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.claudiagifford.com
• Amazon: A Book about Virtues, Letter Friends