Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, Joshua Clare was blessed to gain an appreciation, a respect, and a love for both nature and beauty; for him, the two are synonymous. From his earliest recollections he has always had an urge to create, what Ralph Waldo Emerson said about art is surely true of Josh:

"All men are in some degree impressed by the face of the world; some men even to delight. This love of beauty is Taste. Others have the same love in such excess, that, not content with admiring, they seek to embody it in new forms. The creation of beauty is Art." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Josh received his formal art training at Brigham Young University-Idaho, where he had the privilege of studying under such artists as Leon Parson, Bjorn Thorkelson, Wade Huntsman, Gerald Griffin, and Vince Bodily. The traditional educatiol education he obtained from those exceptional artists has served as the foundation for everything he has done since. Other valuable resources have included books on painting by John Carlson, Richard Schmid, and Edgar Payne.

At only 26 years of age, Josh is a young artist with tremendous promise. In 2006, Josh received 1st place in Oil Painting at the annual BYU-Idaho Department of Art juried exhibition, early in 2007 Josh was selected and approved to receive a scholarship from the Scottsdale Artists School, and again in June of 2007 Josh was awarded first place in the professional division at the summerfest plein air painting competition held in Logan, UT. In June of 2008 He was awarded 1st place again at the River Rocks Plein Air Painting Competition, held in Idaho Falls, ID.

To Josh, painting is a language: a means of expression that, no matter how perfectly mastered, is useless until it is used to communicate. He believes that the greatest paintings, like the greatest movies, the greatest songs, and the greatest books, are those that communicate the greatest ideas, emotions, and truths.

"I don't know if everyone is like me," he admits, "but I've got a million things inside of myself that are dying to get out. I've got to paint like I've got to breathe; and I pray I'll be able to spend my whole life doing it. God has given me a gift, and my greatest desire is to use that gift to glorify him. God's art isn't merely pleasing to the eye, it is beautiful because it is both comely and because it teaches and testifies of truth. I want to create art that does the same."

Josh currently resides with his wife Cambree, in Rexburg, Idaho. AWARDS

2008 River Rocks Plein Air Paintout, Idaho Falls, ID
--1st Place, Judged by artist John Horejs

2007 Summerfest Plein Air Painting Competition, Logan, UT
--1st Place Professional Division, Judged by Glen Edwards

2007 Midway Utah Plein Air Painting Competition, Midway, UT
--Zanger Purchase Award
--3rd Place Studio Painting Professional Division

2006 BYU-Idaho Annual Student Competition, Rexburg, ID
--1st Place Oil Painting

EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS

2008 One Man Show, Astoria Fine Art, Jackson Hole, WY
2007 Group Exhibition, Painitngs of Cache Valley, Bountiful, UT
2007 One Man SHow, Spori Art Gallery, Rexburg, ID