FOLLOW ME TO PARIS

“KEEP SOME ROOM IN YOUR HEART FOR THE UNIMAGINABLE”.

Thirteen years ago I found myself widowed in an instant. A tragic accident quickly took the life of my husband. The future my three children and I had anticipated suddenly dissipated before my eyes. As I began to move forward, I realized my choice would be to live fully in a way that would honor the life in front while leveraging the life behind me. Enter Post 31, ( a nod to pivoting following his death on January 31) It was symbolic of a gentle unfolding, an ending that would bloom into a new beginning, I began to push myself out of my comfort zone time and time again. Every single step was terrifying, but I knew that in the journey would lie the healing.

Five years ago, and many french doors ago, I dipped a toe back into the art world, and nervously dove in head first. After graduating from art and design school much earlier in life, I had continued my studies of figure drawing wherever I could sneak in a class between growing my family. During a low point in my life six years ago, I needed a jolt, a push into the unknown to uncover just what might still be inside. I grabbed my art supplies, an old black portfolio of assorted papers, and jumped on a flight to my favorite destination in the world to attend art class… Hello Paris! I was terrified, humbled, and swelling with self doubt, but made it through that first week long class surrounded by remarkably talented artists from all over the world. With every successive trip I discovered wonderful new friends and was invited to work and be inspired in soulful Parisian studios… an exciting adventure that continues today and marries perfectly my interior design and art.

The world is now my studio. Inspired by travel, I have created hundreds of drawings and paintings during the last 5 years in Paris… and VOILA! Along the way, the old "‘Teresa'“ became the new “Gigi” through a charming conversations with my french artist friends over a glass of rose (or two). I am thrilled to share with you! I am also here to encourage and promise you, my friends, to never ever settle and never let life simply “happen” to you. Please choose to live brilliantly in your best light by celebrating and developing your unique self to share with the world.