I’m going back to Paris.
This September, I’ll be spending two weeks in France with my paints, sketchbooks, camera and — perhaps most importantly — some room to simply look, wander, observe and create.
And I’ve been daydreaming about it constantly.
I can picture myself sitting at a little French café with my gouache paints spread out beside me, painting the Parisian streets as people wander by.
Wandering through the Tuileries with my sketchbook.
Finding a quiet corner of the Luxembourg Gardens.
Standing in front of a painting in a museum and wondering how the artist made the light feel so alive.
Taking photographs of beautiful doors, windows, flowers, rooftops and fleeting moments that I know will eventually find their way into paintings back in my studio.
I’ve decided to think of this trip as a creative residency.
Not because I have every painting planned.
Quite the opposite.
I want to leave room for discovery.
As a painter and art educator, so much of my work begins with looking: studying light, color, architecture, gardens, flowers, people, streets and the little visual moments that stay with me long after I’ve returned to the studio.
Paris is an extraordinary place to do that.
During this trip, I’ll be painting on location, creating gouache studies, filming plein-air painting and educational content, visiting museums and gardens, photographing reference material and gathering ideas for future paintings and projects.
Some of what I create may happen while I’m there.
Some of it may not emerge until weeks or months later, when I’m back in my studio and something I saw in Paris suddenly finds its way onto a canvas.
That’s one of the things I love most about being an artist:
You never really know when inspiration is going to turn into something.
Come to Paris With Me
I’m inviting my collectors and Art Life community to become part of this creative adventure.
I’ve created a small Paris Artist Residency Supporter project.
Supporters will receive The Paris Artist Residency Collection — a beautifully packaged set of 12 artist note cards featuring artwork inspired by my time in France.
And here’s the fun part:
I haven’t painted them yet.
I want the cards to come from the experience itself — from the paintings, photographs, colors, cafés, gardens and visual discoveries that happen along the way.
So I don’t know exactly what they’ll look like yet.
And I kind of love that.
The finished collection will be beautifully packaged and giftable, making it something lovely to keep for yourself or share with someone who loves art and Paris.
A Limited Edition
I’m creating no more than 50 sets of The Paris Artist Residency Collection.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Become a Paris Residency Supporter
For $75, you’ll receive a beautifully packaged, giftable set of 12 artist note cards featuring artwork inspired by my Paris residency.
The Paris Artist Residency Supporter project will remain open through September 14, 2026, when I return home from France.
SUPPORT THE PARIS ARTIST RESIDENCY
Thank you for helping me make room for this creative adventure.
I’ll be sharing pieces of the journey along the way, and when I return to my studio, I’ll bring all of that inspiration home with me.
I can’t wait to see what comes home with me.
