Ok, this is the beginning of the end/end of the beginning when it comes to these posts. We are leaving Paris which puts and end to the travel part of this blog, but it marks the beginning of the project portion of the blog. The next few posts on this blog will be following the process of creating at least one but hopefully more paintings of Paris. I will document the process, share work in progress pictures, and eventually post the final products with an overview of the thought process behind that particular work.
I also wanted to use this time to talk about the trip as a whole in regards to my experience with traveling in a city with friends. I feel like I learned a lot about how to navigate Paris and about its architectural and planning history. I’ve seen so much variety in the cultures of each neighborhood and section of the city while also getting lost in its labyrinthine homogeneity. I’ve grown to find the visual axis and diagonal streets equal parts beautiful and mind numbingly confusing to navigate (unless you can find a recognizable landmark down one of the roads). I’ve learned and experienced a lot with this group, but I’ve also learned that I need to learn to rely on myself. Sometimes, even when you are with a large group, you need to learn to be self sufficient and independent because you never know when you’ll be cut off from everyone else. Be it you are all walking in the city or you’re left on your own, you have to keep composure and remain calm so that you can find your way on your own.
This has been a great trip to be a part of and I was happy to learn in such a fantastic city. I haven’t done all I wanted to do while here both in learning and wandering, so I guess I will have to come back in the future if I get the chance! Thank you so much for this incredible learning opportunity and I hope you all have a great rest of your summer! This was a fun project to work on during this trip and I hope to see you enjoyed!
I drew the Chateau de Button in Gif-sur-Yvette.
I’m also sharing an image I drew in the first few days of the main building of the Cité U (where we’ve been staying).
