Les Femmes de Paris I

Every year in the month of birthday for the past five years, I give myself a very special treat.  I go to Paris.  If I work especially hard during that year, I go for a month.  It is absolutely the best present I could ever give myself and it spurs me on the rest of the eleven months as one of my ultimate goals.

Being a part of everyday life in Paris gives me the opportunity to just slow down and enjoy this beautiful city without rushing to all the tourist spots.  Each morning, I would go for my cafe au lait and croissant at a lovely little outside cafe and watch the Parisian world come to life.  Now, that is the way to start a day.

This year, I decided to take pictures of all the lovely women of the City of Lights and there they were when I opened my eyes.  The statues of women were everywhere but for years I just didn't see them. When you are in a mad dash to see as much as you can in a limited amount of time, you see things but you don't really look at them.  The beautiful lady above sits in front of the Grand Palais.  How regal she is in front of this magnificent building.  She is not in such a prominent position that you might notice her but having decided that this year I would take pictures of all the interesting women in Paris, I saw her.  I was slowing down to find her.

Many of the buildings have wonderful faces on their facade.  This face was over the doorway of a rather plain building but even a rather nondescript building has a little treasure hidden somewhere.  That's the beauty of this great city.  You just have to slow down and look up and walk those streets not on your tourist map.  There are magnificent faces everywhere on most of the buildings in Paris.

One of my favorite haunts were the small streets between the Seine and St-Germain- des- Pres near the Rue Jacob.  What wonderful little shops with interesting windows I would find there.  This lovely lady o

f Paris is trying to decide which of her baubles she 

will wear today.  

This is Isabella.  While sitting in my morning cafe near the Pont de l'Alma, I noticed this pretty lady walking by.  I always carry a little sketch pad with me just in case I am inspired by something wonderfully Parisian.  She was lovely and dressed for Spring in Paris.

It was at that point that I decided I would create a series of pillows featuring the women of Paris and Isabella was one of my first inspirations.  

Ah Paris.... there is art everywhere.