Clara started off her artistic career studying at Chelsea School of Art, The Ruskin in Oxford, and The Royal Academy. She has illustrated over 35 children's books and has been published by HarperCollins, Orchard Books, Random House, Walker Books, Egmont and Kingfisher. She is the daughter of author and illustrator Shirley Hughes, with whom she created the Dixie O'Day series. Clara lives in Twickenham with her husband and two grown-up children.