Amy with birds of paradise Print

FROM PARIS TO SOHO - MY BIOGRAPHY I started my career as an artist after obtaining my degree in Fine Art from Leonardo da Vinci academy of art. My dream was to work in Paris, on arrival I made my way to the French Metropolis of art. I started work in Montmartre as a street artist, body and face painter. Montmartre famous for its bohemian life style and its wonderful sights: Sacre Coeur, Place Due Tertre, has been the home of street artists for hundreds of years, they gather from all over the world to showcase their art, find model's and live the freedom that is the lifestyle of the freelance artist. Famous painters, such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Henri Matisse 'the master of colour' Joan Miro and Toulouse Lautrec the painter whose work captured the spirit of bohemian Paris in the naughty 1890's spent their time there. I was greatly inspired by the works and bohemian life style of Toulouse Lautrec & Picasso so I choose to follow their footsteps in the hope that one day I would paint celebrities and models and make my mark in the art business. I saw my drawings, body painting and face painting as a useful way of supplementing my income. It was a struggle to keep going but it was an exciting new experience for me. My greatest enjoyment was visiting Les Jardins de Giverny (where Claude Monet and Henri Matisse painted their masterpieces) it's a paradise of amazing landscapes, where I spent many happy days. I loved going there and returned often to paint, sometimes alone and sometimes with girlfriends. I considered this to be the most significant part of my career as an artist. Paris became like a second home to me with the abundance of people wanting to have their portraits done. The more portraits I painted the more experienced I became and I learned to exaggerate their beauty to justify my fees. Despite the struggle I really enjoyed my time working as a street artist in Montmartre in the heart of Paris like a Parisian, in the city of lights it was a joy being in such an incredible city. To see people appreciating my work during my time there hid all the struggle and conflicts which I had to undergo and gave me an unshakable will to establish myself as a portrait artist. From there I went to London to work as a street artist and sometimes a Drummer in a Rock Band.