Guest Blogger: Paris Gerrard

I am pleased to introduce a wonderful guest blogger this week, Paris Gerrard. I was dazzled by Paris' paintings when she emailed me about her and her mother's beautiful art. (I talked about them here) Although we've never met in person, through our correspondence and as I'm sure you can read below, she seems like a very fascinating person that I am happy to learn more about. Welcome Paris!



Hello everyone! My name is Paris Gerrard. Last month, I was delighted when Rachel did a post on my mother and I, featuring our artwork. We are artists, living in Salt Lake City, Utah, where we share an incredible studio which I will tell you more about in a future post. I am really excited that Rachel has invited me to be a guest blogger for Black Eiffel. I must admit that in the last few months I have really turned into an absolute "blog junkie". I love browsing all of the uplifting and inspiring things bloggers have to share. It is incredible how many talented people there are. I feel that part of being human seems to include an innate desire to create and express. I wish for everyone an opportunity to convey and explore their uniqueness. It is amazing how the internet/blogging has opened a doorway that allows so many a vehicle for creativity and expression. We can delight in artistry around the world in areas of design, style, and culture. Portals abound for viewing everything imaginable. Black Eiffel represents a unique and exciting collection of "people + place + things + ideas".



Who is Paris Gerrard?
I am an artist in my early 20’s. To view my work visit my website, www.ParisGerrard.com . Most of my time, I am either painting or thinking about ideas to paint. I suppose you could call me somewhat of an art nerd. I also love fashion, cooking, and spending time in nature. This is how I would describe myself and my style.

It's what moves me . . . bohemian, city, fresh wet paint and a newly primed canvas, Sally Mann photography, the color of rain, Pablo Neruda, Prussian blue, organic green olives, long afternoon shadows, used book stores, starting a new book, savoring a last page, simplicity, Lumihai beach, ripe figs picked this morning, sun warmed lilikoi--picked in the afternoon, negative shapes, vintage wallpaper, music, losing myself in a painting, a sunny day in February, enjoying the moment . . .

Background info---
I grew up in a family of artists. I have always been surrounded by and absorbed in art. My earliest art memories are from around four years old; my mother provided my sisters and me with a very large, turquoise tooled leather book in which we were allowed to draw. It was a reflection of our feelings. My family moved to the island of Kauai when I was nine years old. There, I was enrolled in a private school that had a strong emphasis in art. During my teen years, I was gifted with an amazing teacher who helped me see with a new set of eyes. She taught me to relish the beauty of everyday objects. Being immersed in art at such a young age has altered the way I perceive the world. I believe that I experience a kind of artist's intuition. My mind explores visual surroundings, noticing planes and patterns, values and edges. I have taken numerous painting workshops and college art classes to further develop my skills. I feel that art, like life, is a never ending process of discovery.

Art has given me the privilege of expressing, creating, and experimenting. I never really planned on being an artist in the sense of having it as a career. I painted because it was a passion for me. I remember I sold my first painting when I was just 12 years old. I can't recall exactly what it looked like, but I remember how thrilling and enjoyable the process of creating it was. It's great for me to realize that I am able to “follow my bliss”! I feel so fortunate, to be able to call this my job.