Journey to Alsace, A Painter’s Return 2021
After Lockdown, a Breath of Freedom.
In May 2021, after a long year of lockdowns and uncertainty, parts of France began to reopen with cautious optimism. For months, I had been grounded in Paris—like so many others—navigating a quiet world of restrictions, masks, and hand sanitizers. When travel was finally allowed again, I felt an overwhelming urge to be in nature, to reconnect with space, light, and air. My first trip was to the wine region of Alsace, in northeastern France.
A Landscape Made for Painting
Alsace is known not just for its world-famous white wines, but also for its fairytale beauty. Vineyards stretch for miles across rolling hills, and each village feels like it belongs in a storybook. Timber-framed houses with colorful facades, flower boxes on every window, and cobblestone streets—Colmar, Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé… each town had its own quiet magic. I also visited the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, a mountaintop castle with sweeping views of the region.
This was where I began painting the vineyards of France. I had painted Tuscan vineyards before, but Alsace had its own character—softer light, cooler air, and a distinct cultural blend that gave everything a sense of stillness and richness.
Living Among the Vines
During the trip, I stayed in a quiet farmhouse nestled right inside a working vineyard. Each morning, I woke to soft sun filtering through the windows and the green expanse of vines unfolding in every direction. I walked through the fields in the early hours, watching how the light shifted across the leaves, how the earth held the memory of each step I took photographs, made sketches, and let myself absorb it all slowly.
Coming Back Inspired
When I returned to Paris, I felt full of images, moods, and ideas. That trip opened something for me. I wasn’t just interested in painting vineyards for their beauty—I wanted to capture their rhythm, their quiet confidence, and the way they seemed to hold the passing of time.
It was the beginning of a new series, and one I continue to explore with great affection. The vineyards of Alsace gave me more than subject matter—they reminded me how deeply place can move us, and how even after a long silence, art has its way of returning. With that inspiration still fresh, I now look forward to my next journeys—to the Burgundy region, Champagne, and Bordeaux. Places rich with beauty, history, and new stories waiting to unfold on canvas.
