The Story Behind My Newest Painting Collection, Parisian Flower Shop

There is a particular kind of beauty that stops you mid-step. Not a gradual unfolding — but a sudden, complete drenching of color. It happened to me on a side street in Saint-Germain, Paris.

Two years ago, my family and I spent ten glorious days in France. For our time in Paris, we stayed in Saint-Germain — in the 6th arrondissement — a neighborhood recommended to me over and over for its rich mix of heritage and culture. It didn't disappoint. Our boutique hotel, Hotel La Perle, sat right in the heart of it, giving us the perfect place to begin each morning: a strong cup of French coffee, an almond croissant (my favorite), and a stroll around the block.

Saint-Germain has a quietness that Paris does not. And there, on a stretch of pavement, a flower shop had spilled itself entirely onto the sidewalk. There stood wooden, rustic shelves overflowing — roses, dahlias, ranunculus, peonies — blooms cascading out of the front door and into the street as if the shop simply could not contain them. It was an invitation, not a display.

I had to stop. I had no choice.

I took this photo the first morning in Paris. This shop was very close to our hotel.

Inside, it was immediately clear why the flowers had spilled out onto the sidewalk. The shop was pocket-sized — no bigger than a typical American walk-in closet. You couldn't turn around without bumping into a cascade of gorgeous flowers. But as you'd expect in a Parisian stop, there sat the unexpected amongst all of the flowers — a 17th-century farm chair in the corner, holding a single arrangement as naturally as if it had always been there. Rustic and refined. Completely Parisian chic.

That moment — the color, the chair, the flowers on the sidewalk, the quiet confidence of it all — became the heartbeat of this collection. Artisanal in its making. Bold in its shapes and unapologetically ALIVE in color.

Welcome to my newest painting collection: PARISIAN FLOWER SHOP

Launching June 1.