Claudia McNulty moved from NYC to the Hudson Valley some twenty years ago with her husband Tony and their baby son. The couple bought an unconverted pair of farm buildings on a hillside and on a limited budget they set about turning one of the buildings into a family home and whilst the other became Claudia's studio where she paints and designs pieces such as the aluminum Adirondack chair and the dining table with aluminum legs. Tony oversaw the project from beginning to end with Claudia closely involved in every design decision. Innumerable windows salvaged from reclamation yards, were inset into both internal and external walls creating an informal series of interconnected living spaces filled with natural light throughout the day. The barn which is furnished with Claudia's vintage finds has adapted well to family life. When younger, their son slept in what is now the main bedroom tucked away from the living areas. Now, when not away studying he has the whole of the lower floor to himself, whilst Tony has reclaimed the second bedroom as workspace. For Claudia, the spring fed lake on the property is a luxury she couldn't live without - during the summer months she swims there morning, noon and night sharing the water with local wild life. The natural world and its destruction is of huge concern to her and the subject matter of her large scale work is usually animal or bird based set against a background of periodic tables or temperature charts.
