VB-Arts
Fine Arts
Experimentation
India: A decisive inspiration
During our six years living in India, I was fortunate to explore a vibrant world of colour, fragrance, and spirituality, where shimmering temples punctuated the landscape. We travelled extensively across Asia, and it was there that I discovered serenity, kindness, and above all, gratitude. The diversity of places, cultures, and festivals created incredibly rich memories—both culturally and emotionally—through those vivid colours that left an indelible mark on my heart.
Alongside learning yoga, I also trained in Zentangle, a meditative art practice, and earned my diploma as a Certified Zentangle Teacher, which enables me to teach this discipline. Before long, I moved beyond the traditional pencil tiles with their softly blended shadows, to explore new dimensions by adding colour with ink or watercolour. Drawing repetitive patterns offered me a peaceful, soothing refuge where I could calm my soul.
However, returning to France was tinged with a certain bitterness, because leaving that enchanting world was heartbreaking. It was also filled with insecurity, as my health had not improved—and the stress of coming back significantly worsened my symptoms, becoming disabling and preventing me from imagining a return to my career.
I therefore had to find the resources I needed to finally understand that art is part of my life, and that it was high time to devote more time to it.
Why paint?
From my very first creative activities, I have always been fascinated by colours, shapes, and the sense of well-being that art could bring me on a mental level. By focusing on something other than my pain, I have continually sought to release my anxieties and doubts through my creations.
After trying out different creative hobbies for many years, I learned the art of working with polymer clay, jewellery making, and weaving semi-precious beads. I also took part in several craft markets in these fields.
Then Zentangle came into my life. Through our experience in India, I discovered a world rich in pigments, which gradually led me to experiment with painting using local resources such as spices—coffee, tea, turmeric—as well as traditional pigments used both for creating rangolis (colourful traditional patterns drawn directly on the ground, reminiscent of mandalas from afar, and part of a religious ritual) and during the Festival of Colours, Holi, when pigments are thrown into the air or placed on other people’s faces to celebrate the arrival of spring.
I therefore learned to embrace this vibrant world of colour, which naturally guided me towards painting and experimenting with these living materials.
It was the beginning of my passion for painting—and it has only grown since we returned. Today, painting allows me to express myself freely, without constraints, through phases of experimentation and intuitive, open-ended creation.
