On a a trip to France, my desire was to visit and follow the paths of the Impressionists. I wanted to stand where they stood to paint, smell the same air, witness the same light, and basically walk and work where they did and see what inspired them. I focused on Claude Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh. This first led me to the incredible pond and gardens in Giverny at the home of Claude Monet. Monet created his gardens over a period of 20 years. He would constantly re-arrange colours and textures, until he was was satisfied that the gardens were ready to be painted. Here I spent an entire glorious day surrounded by the beauty of the sunshine, the plants and flowers, and the serenity of the pond and the Japanese bridge that he had built. I felt connected to him, as I too am an avid gardener and painter. When I returned home I created 30 paintings in 4 months. I have used the same torn paper technique as described in the “Japan Series”, together with acrylic paint, to once again create works with recognizable images, but in a style closer to the Impressionist painters of the 19th century. Creating these paintings was a highly gratifying experience with a most incredible trip to France as my inspiration.