I left Paris in the midst of a disorienting heatwave. May was a busy month - Mays usually are in my life - and this time I added the opening of my exhibition to the equation. I’ve been both excited and emotional about how the opening night went: nearly 70 people came, and I didn’t have a moment to fully process it all. The video above, that I took before the opening night, is not in the right - landscape - format, but you can still see how beautiful the exhibition space is!
My work will be on view at 48 rue Greneta until June 24, if you happen to be in Paris and would like to see it. Most pieces are also available to purchase there - originals, prints, and I also take orders for street signs.
After all that emotion, excitement, and hard work, I needed a break. I love visiting my hometown of Novi Sad at this time of year. It’s just a short European flight from Paris - slightly over two hours - and when I can, I come often. Although May has been very warm here as well, it’s a different kind of warmth than in Paris. I’ve finally been able to sleep at night, enjoying a soft breeze, while still wearing sandals during the day. Next week, we’ll celebrate my mum’s birthday, eating ridiculous amounts of ice cream and the perfect red tomatoes that Serbia does best.
Yesterday, we realized that two old cherry trees (one tree, one bush), planted by my grandfather some 50 years ago on a small allotment on a nearby mountain, were heavy with fruit. So we spent half of Saturday picking cherries. When we grew too tired, we left some for today. I’m looking forward to making many cherry pies.
Here below are the things that made me happy this May - a month full of sunshine, rain, color, and roses. Roses everywhere! I make these lists every month.
Here we go:
I freestyled more in my daily sketchbook. Everything revolved around exhibition preparations, but I allowed myself to sketch, plan, and experiment more than usual. I had to remind myself that these monthly sketchbooks are not a place of excellence, but a place for experimentation. Exhibition preparations are incredibly overwhelming and long - I plan to write about the whole process soon.
When people ask on my city tours which restaurants in Paris they should visit, I find it difficult to recommend places. Many I once loved have lowered their quality, raised their prices, or both. But we tried this place, and I loved it.
I’ve been reading a book about Michael Rockefeller’s disappearance in the 1960s, called Savage Harvest. If you enjoy stories about distant places, this one is set in Papua New Guinea and is fascinating. You will also learn quite a bit about cannibalism. I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s an incredible read so far.
I loved seeing the landscape of Paris transformed by JR’s installation on the Pont Neuf.
I made an elderflower syrup and sold a couple of these print-at-home stickers.
I love jasmine green pearl tea, and I bought some for my mum.
I explored and wrote about rue des Rosiers.
We watched the final chapter of the Parisian detective trilogy set at the turn of the century - it’s brilliant.
I sketched more in my on-the-go sketchbook with the pen that I had in my bag.
I had a couple of dear friends (and my sister) visit Paris - showing them around felt magical.
I made this cake many times, in many shapes.
And that’s it. Tomorrow is June - the month when all of Europe smells of linden and of my childhood. I wish you a joyful one!
Merci, merci, merci for being here,
Sonja
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