France

In France, I was generously given a fantastic space to work in by friends of friends. Chali helped me put long hours by keeping me in the manner I’m accustomed, with croissants at morning tea and too much wine and cheese. Life was tough.

I worked on painting ideas I had collected while travelling, but hadn’t had the time or studio space to execute. I used quick drawings from my sketch book and studies as reference. I am finding that having lots of paintings on the go at one time keeps me motivated.

France was also a chance for me to experiment with some different ideas and mediums. I did a series of Japanese inspired ink drawings, using a sable brush and adding gauche colour to some. While I did these drawings, I was also thinking a lot about Brett Whitely and how he drew on Japanese art for his confident, loose and efficient black and white work. I’m very excited for our two weeks in Japan, coming up at the end of our trip.

Before leaving France, I spent a few days in Paris. I was very excited to revisit the Musee d’Orsay. It has to be my favourite art museum in the world. Although the top floor was undergoing renovations (ironically, some of the works were in Australia), the Museum did not disappoint. The more Gauguins I see, the more I like them. He was an amazing colourist and his simple drawing is exquisite. Monet’s round rooms at the Tuileries Museum were also amazing – they put me into a trance.