It’s been almost exactly five years since my final post on the now archived christelle-paints blogspot. I signed off a month before leaving for Geneva. During my time in Switzerland, I largely focused on photography, taking advantage of the dramatic landscapes, ample public transport, and friendly photography community. It was my creative outlet, and much of the fruits of those years can be seen under the Portfolio tab.
I’m now in London, working full time. About a year ago, a colleague asked if I would consider sharing an art studio with him. His wife was an artist and had a studio in one of the converted buildings offered by Bow Arts in East London. He was keen to claim a little space in the same community. This offer, which I’d initially only tentatively considered, awoke a dormant passion. Six months later, I was all set up. I’d found an easel for £50 on Gumtree, a plywood board (custom cut in Dalston), and a print of a largely unknown but sublime painting by Artemisia Gentileschi - more on her later.
I’ve been painting ever since. My ultimate goal is to study at an institution like the Florence Academy of Art or the Grand Central Atelier. The method I’m currently using isn’t their method, nor is it the method I’ll use in the long run. But it is the method I have the most training in, and I believe that many of the principles gleaned from its practice are transferrable.
Not unlike the original blog, I want to use this page to document and unpack my learnings and track my artistic progress. I look back to my first post and as I’d hoped, I see how much my views have expanded and my craft has developed. I hope this will continue to be true.
Christelle