My trip to Paris

It was a dream come true, to visit the places where so much history happened, where paintings were created, and to go to the museums where some of the most famous works of art in the world are on display … from Giverny to Versailles, the Louvre to Musée de l Orangerie. It was a non-stop visit and there was still so much we didn’t have time to see!

I was in Paris two weeks ago, my three adult children took me there for my birthday, and it was a wonderful, unforgettable week.

I’ve already started paintings from the photos I took when I visited, re-interpreting this amazing place and the personal feelings it has energized inside of me.

I was in art history heaven – our visit to the Louvre highlighted all of the “hotspots”… Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, and so many other pre-planned tour suggestions, but I was in search of the collection of encaustic paintings located in the basement.

Possibly the biggest highlight of the trip, for me, was going to La Maison du Pastel where I purchased an incredible set of Henri Roche pastels, I believe the finest pastels still hand made, in the world.

I met Margaret (pictured below) and Isabelle, and was able to choose specific colors to substitute in the Autumn Leaves set I purchased.

Another highlight (there were so many highlights) was our walking tour in the Montmartre, knowing the blue doors were the entrance to Van Gogh’s apartment, to the Moulin de la Galette, (the last windmill) where Renoir created his famous painting, to the Sacré Coeur de Montmartre. The fabulous blue in the night sky was the main reason I requested the cobalt blue pastel, a last minute addition to my pastel box!

That same cobalt blue captivated me when I saw Van Gogh’s painting at the Musee d’Orsay.

One unexpected highlight was being surrounded by Monet’s enormous water lilies, created specifically for the space at the Musée de l’Orangerie, it’s considered the first art installation.

I haven’t even touched the surface of all of the wonderful places we visited and the amazing artwork I was able to see (oh, and the incredible food we consumed)! This was a trip that will always be special to me and I think Paris will be a place I want to re-visit, over and over.