Claudia was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, South America where she lives today with her husband and three children. Upon high school graduation Claudia was given the opportunity to go to the College of St. Theresa in Winona Minnesota to study art. There she refined her passion for painting as well as ballet and modern jazz dancing, she also met her husband to be, Terry Shapiro. In 1985 Claudia graduated with a degree in fine arts and had her first show. When she returned to Colombia after graduation, Claudia taught art and dance at a private bilingual school. After realizing they were meant to be together, Claudia and Terry made arrangements for Claudia to travel to Terry’s hometown of Chicago where Claudia would study illustration at the American Academy of Art. The professors were amazed at the talent of their Colombian student. Claudia graduated with an Associates Degree in Illustration. Soon after Claudia and Terry were married. Now after 16 years of dedicating herself to her three children and several moves within the United States, Claudia has the opportunity to paint again! Her work, mostly in oils, is easily identified by the use of brighter colors and incredibly lifelike expressions of her subjects. Purchasers of her art have said it gives them goose-bumps when they hang them up in their homes. Claudia’s first U.S. show was this past May at the Four Bridges Art Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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