Label
Clara Deike was an artist and teacher who grew up in Cleveland and attended the Cleveland School of Art, where she studied with prominent artists Frederick Gottwald and Henry Keller. They taught Deike to paint plein air with watercolor, and to depict violet shadows, which became a characteristic of her work.
Deike traveled the world studying with modernist painters, including Hans Hoffman and Diego Rivera. She frequently painted rooftops and aerial scenes from high vantage points, especially during her travels. In addition to traveling to Germany and Mexico, she maintained two studios, one in Cleveland and one in Gloucester, going back and forth between the two locations. In 1935, the year this watercolor was painted, women traveling alone faced scrutiny and disapproval, but more women were traveling and challenging traditional expectations, giving artists such as Deike more opportunities for plein air painting.