Claire was born in Bath in Wiltshire and moved to Kent when she was five. She spent her childhood trying to be Monet; carrying her paint box and easel into muddy fields, painting disinterested sheep and their acquaintances. Claire got a Degree in Fine Art in Canterbury then moved to London in 1995. She stumbled through various jobs until settling down as a portrait painter and children's book author/illustrator in 2003. 'Millie Shares' is Claire's first book for Egmont, but she has also published many other fantastic titles including 'Small Florence', 'Back to Front and Upside Down' and 'Lost in the Snow'.