Happy 2025 and a Color Meditation

Thank you!

Seagull and Notre Dame

I wish everyone a year full of rest, colors, and moments worthy of mapping. I came here to share those hopes with you and to offer a short essay on life lately—plus a little video.

I turned on the oven last night and made some proja. It has been a couple of very cold December days here in Paris, and even with the central heating that we are proud of (and that is rare in Paris), the space was cold. So it was time to bake! Birdy, the tiny dog, liked this idea and spent most of the time with me in the kitchen, hoping for a bit of something. In vain—but at least the oven made the space feel warm and cozy.

I have been busy the last couple of days, and my hibernation—even the mere idea of it—disappeared with all the work that I had to do. I illustrated this month's edition of

Roxy

’s newsletter, and there you can find a lot of great ideas about what to do and see in Paris every month. A couple of wonderful exhibitions are on here in Paris at the moment that are on my list: this one at the Luxembourg museum, this one in Grand Palais, and this one in Orangerie.

Even with my tight schedule, I knew I needed to carve out some time for “food for thought,” but the crowds discouraged me. Paris felt incredibly busy this week, even though most Parisians were away—a huge influx of tourists seemed to fill the void. I went to Montmartre for a tour and have never seen so many people there before! A colleague shared the same sentiment. I’ve promised myself a couple of slow days as soon as I can mentally afford them. Hopefully, next week.

This needs a drawing.

Last week, equally cold but sunny, the soft winter sunlight invited me to walk all the way to the Sennelier shop on the quai. I might have known they had a promotion on the box of 24 oil pastels! I bought the box with the basic colors—usually, I tend to go for the weird ones, so this was a practical choice. Right?

While I was out, a few Parisians caught my eye. I snapped some photos and later sketched them at home—white-haired women with bright red lipstick, leopard patterns, soft cashmere. I also treated myself to a new A4-sized Semikolon notebook, as I’d just finished my A5 one and loved its paper quality for mixed media and oil pastel experiments. I enjoy making these mental sketches of my days and the passersby I encounter.

A color inventory

Behind the paywall (for my paid subscribers) is a video of me creating a visual list—a color inventory—of all the Sennelier oil pastels I own. It’s a soft, meditative process, and if you’re into creativity—and the joy of collecting single colors from specific brands—you might find it inspiring. It’s a great way to keep track of your precious rainbow collection.