Outer Depths Collection

It was the summer of 2017 and I was traveling to Paris to see some distant cousins and enjoy the amazing scenery.

I had just finished a fulfilling but overwhelming first year in graduate school.

Every day was planned. Major projects were due one after another. I got very little sleep.

It was time to clear my head.

I took my meticulously written travel guide and set out to check off every major museum and landmark that I could.

Yet after some time being an ambitious tourist, I realized that experiencing the city in this rushed and hyper-scheduled way wasn’t as thrilling as I’d expected.

I was going to see exactly what I had already seen an image of online, and hardly lingering before feeling the need to move on. There was no element of discovery or contemplation.

So I began to slow down and just be present.

I stopped checking my phone GPS all the time, and began wandering through the city aimlessly and without a plan.

Suddenly, I started noticing more of the anonymous but beautiful moments in the unfamiliar world around me. ✨

The wondrous shadows cast by the intricate railings along the Seine River walkway.

The mystery of a distant unknown building revealing itself between the trees.

I felt like I was seeing my surroundings through a different lens.

Even on my morning visit to Versailles, I ended up spontaneously riding through the outer pathways of the park forest on a rented bike more than touring the ornate palace.

The chance to find my own hidden gems was so much more rewarding than simply checking the boxes on a tightly planned itinerary.

This was the reset my mind needed.

I recently revisited the many references I took while on this trip, and knew that I could make a special collection of artwork capturing my explorations beyond the most trodden path.

I didn't want to be just another artist that captures the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe.

There was so much more to see in the spaces between, and I wanted to show you how fulfilling it can be to shift your focus from the major icons of a city to its unexplored outer depths.

I hope this artwork inspires you to seek out the quiet details of the world around you, and be open to the magic of unplanned adventure.

Spontaneity in an unfamiliar place