From Coloring Book to Paintings
“Air Papillon”, a painting recently finished and looking for a new home in the shop.
Where it began
Some drawings wait years before they become paintings. Some never do.
Three years ago, I was working on a coloring book entirely made from original drawings. It was comprised of what I knew were glimpses at future artworks, but also natural history illustrations that highlighted certain plants or animals present in those imagined worlds. Back then, the plan was to eventually turn some of these drawings into full-fledged paintings. Maybe not all of them, but certainly some.
Picking up the thread again
The process has been slow and long-winded. Partially because I have followed other interests, other ideas that needed to come into the world.
At times, I wondered if it wasn’t too late to come back to these drawings, as if they had some kind of expiration date. Or maybe I had simply moved on.
But for some reason, I recently pulled out one of those drawings (one with a plane and butterflies) and finally gave life to it through color and texture.
Some things just need time, and sometimes you want to go back and continue following a thread you had left untouched. Unfinished.
In life, you often open a plethora of paths, and you can’t possibly walk them all.
These drawings, among other creative projects I have, feel like that.
A Cheerful Post-Apocalypse
What keeps me coming back are the themes, which have been consistent throughout my work for the last decade.
They all stem from a cheerful post-apocalyptic world: a world where humans are absent, but their buildings, objects, and trash have been left behind. A world where nature is coming back, colorful, vibrant, and beautiful; yet always in balance between the object and the natural growth.
Although the environmental crisis sits quietly at the core of these paintings, I don’t approach it through despair. Instead, I imagine a reality where coexistence was possible, or perhaps still is. The harmony between structure and growth in these pieces reflects a wish more than a prediction: a world where we live alongside nature rather than against it.
Imagining Balance
Hope is always very present through the celebration of life and the beauty of our world.
This was also my goal when creating this coloring book: for people, big and small, to pause and reflect on the way we live and imagine alternatives; but also to awaken a sense of wonder for the living world.
I grew up in a city and discovered my curiosity for nature rather late in life and through my art, so I want to pass this along to anyone who encounters my work.
I often wonder whether these paintings feel hopeful because they remove humans, or because they imagine a world where balance finally exists.
Below you can see some of the paintings that have emerged from this project, small fragments of an ongoing world that continues to evolve. Some of these are looking for new homes, you can find them in my shop.
If you are interested in the book, here are some links on where to find it online.
I wish you a lovely day!
