Born in London in 1955, Clayden completed her BA at Central School of Art and Design and her Post Graduate Diploma at the Royal Academy Schools. She was the Winner of The Landseer and Dorothy Morgan Prizes in 1981 and 1982. She studied life drawing for 6 years under the inspirational tutorage of Cecil Collins. She has had 10 solo exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions throughout Britain and internationally. She now balances teaching with painting and is the founder of Young Visions, a unique method of teaching and creating. Her studio has been based in North London for the past 30 years.
Clayden's paintings are noted for their unusual and breathtaking imagery and the quality of her collaged surfaces, but the most remarkable aspect of her work remains her excellence in any medium she chooses to work in and a total commitment to her own truth.