Context : It is generally assumed that a large fraction of stars are initially born in clusters .
However , a large fraction of these disrupt on short timescales and the stars end up belonging to the field .
Understanding this process is of paramount importance if we wish to constrain the star formation histories of external galaxies using star clusters .

Aims : We attempt to understand the relation between field stars and star clusters by simultaneously studying both in a number of nearby galaxies .

Methods : As a pilot study , we present results for the late-type spiral NGC 4395 using HST/ACS and HST/WFPC2 images .
Different detection criteria were used to distinguish point sources ( star candidates ) and extended objects ( star cluster candidates ) .
Using a synthetic CMD method , we estimated the star formation history .
Using simple stellar population model fitting , we calculated the mass and age of the cluster candidates .

Results : The field star formation rate appears to have been roughly constant , or to have possibly increased by up to about a factor of two , for ages younger than \sim 300 Myr within the fields covered by our data .
Our data do not allow us to constrain the star formation histories at older ages .
We identify a small number of clusters in both fields .
Neither massive ( > 10 ^ { 5 } M _ { \odot } ) clusters nor clusters with ages \geq 1 Gyr were found in the galaxy and we found few clusters older than 100 Myr .

Conclusions : Based on our direct comparison of field stars and clusters in NGC 4395 , we estimate the ratio of star formation rate in clusters that survive for 10 ^ { 7 } to 10 ^ { 8 } years to the total star formation to be \Gamma \sim 0.03 .
We suggest that this relatively low \Gamma value is caused by the low star formation rate of NGC 4395 .