Paris street art / Ba Ta clan / Picasso

Paris is such wonderfully arty city and is so full of street art it's very visual . I just love taking a few snaps of it . Of course I personally love the super bright ones . Lol 

Here are some incredible samples of Paris street art !!!!!!! 

I love to wander the street of a normally bustling city that is Paris . While it was their winter Paris is always packed with tourists . It had a bit of a somber feel this time many normally packed hotels were not. In fact my girlfriend who lives in south of France who visits Paris all the time said her regular hotel she was the only one there and normally she's hard up getting a booking :( . The recent attacks in Paris have had a massive effect on the city . 

 

I walked past the ' Ba Ta clan cafe ' with a heavy heart for all the loss of life that had only recently taken place . I could relate to this as I am a rock chic who loves to go to concerts in these types of venues . My friend had recently seen ' bullet for my Valentine ' there and said it could have been her or anyone on any night out with there friends . 

The Paris people and all the visitors left cards and candles and you could just feel all the prayers surrounding the memorial site . Of course I said a pray for the victims of this tragedy .

I also had a visit to the awesome MUSEE PICASSO PARIS ........ Wow and the wait was worth it . I have waited too on all of my last visits it was always under renovations . Finally was amazing to see his Intire story shown on five levels of a remarkable gallery . You could see what a strong hand/style he had that transcended his different art periods and evolution . I walked away with a heightened respect for the genius that is PICASSO . 

and my new favourite mug ........ Xo 

Art shops and bunny heads

One of the most interesting pursuits with travel for an artist is visiting mega art shops in other countries . Paris has some incredible ones all have some similar items but most are totally unknown which is always exciting . I have a bit of a thing for buying brushes as I find the quality in France is second to none . Always amazed by walls of colourful paint displayed still has the same effect on me as it did when I first entered an art shop as a child . !!!!!! 

Always make you wanna have a paint even if it just with a bit of black wash . A bit into the watercolours ATM . I also travel with them mainly as they are less trouble at customs . Trust me I have lots of trouble at customs just with one name of STARR . Lol it's a complete nightmare so I don't also need dramas with the word PAINT . WATERCOLOUR is lovely and no offending . 

A buffet of pencils is always a good idea nothing gets the creative juices flowing quiet like them . Another thing I am always on the out look for are glamorous and beautiful sketchbooks , I am a sucker for a good one !!!!! Must be really thick and of the highest quality something that's hard to find in Australia . 

Lucky last is never but never hold back on buying a killer prop like a bunny head . This will show up soon in my Alice in wonderland series . Nothing creepier than human/animal head or more whimsical depending on your artistic bent . I am undecided but I knew I had to have it . 

Buy because you may never see it again even if it's a bunny head or a new sketchbook . Well that's my tip . X 

I LOVE PARIS

I am current back in PARIS and the pursuit for beauty to capture on canvas . It's off to a flying start and I feel so inspired the minute I am on French soil . It's a bit cold would be an understatement and it's interesting to see the effect on the sky ........I do love vanilla sky's in the day and indigo Sky by night . 

It's alway a good idea to see the Eiffel Tower as soon as you can it personally makes me excitedly happy . Ohhhhh and quick watercolour sketch never hurt anyone or a coffee in your favourite cafe . 

 I love to be a bit random and let things just happen and wander . I find beautiful streets that inspire and even though navigation in not my strong point sometimes you need to be lost to be found . 

Or at least learn to use the metro lol . So let the adventure begin that is Paris . X 

Love a photographic adventure

It's been quiet the arty adventure with my iPhone !!!!!! Love my iPhone as much as you do yours . I am addicted would be understatement . While my photos are most likely have a rather fabulous ending ahead of them it's fun all the same . Yes as a painter girl they will end up on canvas for an up and coming exhibition . Here is a small sample of my latest photos . 

I think the camera is fantastic tool for an artist to master . I know many award winning photographers and to be honest while I love what they do I would always rather be messy and paint  . In saying that 2016 is the year I get some extra photography skills up and take it a bit more serious . Every year I always take up a new skill that will enhance my practice . Last year it was the airbrush lol .

So 2016 is the PHOTOGRAPHY year for me . I actually dabbled in it via intermedia and art college but never quiet got it . This time I am having private lessons and am very percific with want I want to learn so not to overwhelm me . Totally excited about the plan !!!! 

Hope your New Years off to a fabulous start I am still in London painting and about to head over to Paris for a spell X 

Starr ⭐️

Alice in wonderland in London !!!!!!!

There is alway time for Alice in wonderland adventures in London or even an exhibition . At the British library there was such an event . Being an Alice in wonderland tragic I had to go so off to London I went . Was a bit interactive aswell you could do selfies with big mirrored alices . 

It was a fantastic collection of many editions and illustrated Alice books and the story told with many different versions . I actually have a copy of the original book that's very old and sits in a glass case to protect it . It has featured in one of my latest Alice painting , you can see in in the row boat here with Alice . It's the green looking book one of my most treasured possessions . 

Every artist paints Alice through there own eyes , mine is all mine . I went with an adult Alice as I could relate better to that and went with a technological twist . It's a bit like seeing into the looking glass and interpretating it your way . 

I found this rather unique DRINK ME bottle .........and I just knew I had to have it not just because it came from this exhibition but because it will work in my series in the future . Yes I had to do a quick watercolour sketch of it also . Ps I did want almost everything in gallery shop :( but needed a reality check . 

So it truly was like falling down the rabbit hole for and hour or so and a most epic wonderland adventure . Was so inspiring to me artistically and I have few more twists for my Alice series in the future . We are all mad here X 

2016 LONDON

Happy New Years everyone !!!!! Mine has started off with a bang well being in London is pretty epic . 2015 you were also a super years so 2016 you have lots to live up too . I am over here searching the city streets for inspiration and it's not hard so many big red things . 

One of my favourite red things is the London buses and coming in a tie is the telephone booths . Just WOW . just WOW . Yes there is a very good chance these will be featured in my October 2016 solo at the redhill gallery in my home town Brisbane . 

I have English / Irish blood so I knew that I would love this city and the cold . I truly feel right at home and just love the light in Europe in general . LONDON is a bit like stepping into a fairytale for real it's just so old . A far as artistically inspiring this is just fantastic city so many structure that need to be captured on canvas . I have been doing watercolour sketches from my Paddington studio , I can set a studio up anywhere I go . Sometimes it just about getting out of your world and stepping into another . 

Here is a water colour sketch of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London . I did say where I am staying is beyond quirky it's painted from ceiling to floor it's quiet mad really . Then again all the best people are mad . Here is a shot of the ceiling yes that's a full painted ceiling with stars .

Crazy I know I was not making it up photographic evidence is needed . Oddly I love it's quirky warm vibe . So while I love to paint from life I rather value my hands and not have them frozen off . I run around lots with my camera and just hope they are in focus enough for me to be able to work from them . I am a poor photographer but getting better as they years go by .I know what I see and what will make a great painting not always the best photo lol . 

So I will just be seeing what I see and loving the journey because after all it's not about the destination . But LONDON is a pretty cool :) X