Clarissa Koch was born in Munich in 1972. She is a classically trained artist with an interest both in Renaissance and 19th Century techniques. A native Austrian, Clarissa grew up in Munich, Germany where she became involved in films at an early age. Following her childhood dream, she moved to London after finishing her formal education, to work for Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Her love for drawing and painting was first inspired by a visit to the Watts Gallery near Guilford. She followed this initial impulse by researching drawing techniques in the London museums, spending time studying anatomy at the UCL Medical School and eventually moving to Florence to train at The Florence Academy of Art. From there she went on to spend several summers at the summer studio of renowned Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum. She currently works from her studios in London and Austria. "Painting to me is the search for beauty and proportion, atmosphere and light - a slow journey into another world."