Hello

from the studio

A thought

Creativity needs space

There is something special about winter months. Whether you love or hate them, we can all agree that they impact our energy and mood.
For the first time in a long time I've decided not to fight my natural need to slow down. I've embraced a rhythm where doing less seems more nurturing than the usual frenetic November - collapsing December followed by recovery attempt January & depressed February ... does it sounds familiar ? Well to be honest, this is my usual winter routine and I would love to have a different experience this year. 

It's a time of the year where kids and their schools, social gatherings and work is very demanding and I made sure to do only the very minimum this year.
So this time I'm doing much less, we even celebrated my son's birthday a month in advance and when the universe decided that I will not travel this Christmas, I did not fight it.

Interestingly, I've noticed that my painting are embracing the same mindset this year and my style is back to a more minimalist one.
It feels like a real inner expansion. 
Being less overwhelmed resulted in being more productive in the studio and focusing on essential marks, lines, shapes. 
We tend to ignore or forget it but creativity definitely needs emptiness to grow, and for the moment, it's all about preserving this sacred space.

A place

Brittany, France

After 6 months not leaving the UK and being very picky on where to put my energy, I had a little getaway in the French country side in Brittany, early December.

It was absolutely lovely and warm and reinvigorating and inspiring.
I was honoured to delivered an artwork to a dear friend and it was the opportunity to re-explore the series " Layers of Life" that I did after moving from Hong Kong.
This series of work on paper is a reflexion of what diversity brought me. Jumping from one universe to another over the last 2 decades pushed me to mix my cultural heritage to others and the process have been nothing else then pure bliss and flow.

It is also a reflexion of how important it is to find a balance between our hectic lifes and pausing times. Both are necessary and our challenge is to find a balance between them.
That made me done two new artworks on paper to complete this series.

A moment

Bravery in colours
I felt so brave while using this palette. 

It is much more saturated than my usual colours but I felt compelled to associate an intense colour to a very tender subject: sisterhood.  

It is well known that colours have universal significations but I believe it can be much more subjective to each one. 
This intense red seems dramatic but I like its deepness and women relationships carry this complexity too. This tension between softness and intensity is the space I'm exploring through this painting. 

A painting

Et puis je fume
Not a new one but definitely a favorite one
To stay in the same blue theme, I've picked for you :
 

A wish

Not so fishy
This time of the year can only make me wish you a wonderful festive season, 
may this new year bring us more peace, ease and joy.
Fishes represents abundance and prosperity in Chinese cultures. Two fishes of the same size are often gifted to new married couple to wish them good luck, abundance and prosperity in their married life.