Seeing my artwork exhibited in Paris was a very special treat — and a very good excuse to get back on the Eurostar.

Four trips to Paris this year, lots of art, colour, beautiful buildings, crepes and plenty of inspiration for whatever comes next.

Seeing my artwork exhibited in Paris was a very special treat — and, quite honestly, a very good excuse to get back on the Eurostar.

This was my fourth trip to Paris this year, and I’m beginning to think of the Eurostar as an extension of my studio. There is something wonderful about being able to leave London in the morning and, a couple of hours later, find yourself surrounded by a completely different rhythm of buildings, colours, galleries, cafés and people.

And for someone who designs textiles, Paris is one of those places where you can’t help but look.

At shopfronts. At old painted doors. At the colours of buildings. At the way fabrics are used in restaurants. At the marks left by time. At the unexpected combinations of colour everywhere you turn.

It’s all creative fuel.

A little bit of Parisian exhibition excitement

The main reason for this trip was particularly special.

The Curator Gallery in Paris had organised a postcard entry show, and I was delighted to discover that three of my pieces had been accepted.

Seeing my work on the wall in Paris felt rather surreal.

There was something lovely about seeing such a wide variety of work together and searching through the exhibition to find my three pieces. It’s always exciting to put your work out into the world, but exhibiting in Paris added another layer of excitement.

It also gave me that wonderful feeling of being part of something bigger - artists from different places, all making and sharing work.

And, of course, once you have an exhibition to visit in Paris, you really have no choice but to stay for a few days…

Musée d’Orsay - and Bonnard’s colour

One of my favourite visits this time was the Musée d’Orsay.

Seeing Van Gogh, Monet and Bonnard in the flesh is always a treat, but it was Bonnard’s work that stayed with me most.

His use of colour, mark-making and layers really resonated with me.

I love the feeling that a painting has been built up over time - marks sitting on top of other marks, colours appearing and disappearing, nothing feeling too perfectly contained.

That is something I’m always looking for in my own work.

My textile designs begin in my sketchbooks, and I love allowing those original marks and gestures to remain visible. I’m interested in the energy of a drawing rather than making everything too neat or polished.

Bonnard was a wonderful reminder of how powerful that can be.

There was also a small Art Deco wallcovering exhibition, which was an absolute joy to discover. And the building itself is reason enough to spend time there. The former railway station has such an extraordinary sense of scale and history.

A very special anniversary dinner

This trip also included a rather special anniversary dinner at Le Grand Café, inside the Grand Palais.

It was one of those evenings that felt like a proper occasion - beautiful surroundings, wonderful food, amazing service and the sheer pleasure of being somewhere that feels so unmistakably Parisian.

The scale of the spaces is a must see, they have added huge velvet curtains, upholstery and cushions dividing up the spaces so well and huge scale fresh foliage. This also means the acoustics of the space are first class.

Sometimes the best part of a trip is simply giving yourself permission to sit somewhere beautiful for a few hours and enjoy it.

Crepes, obviously

There was also plenty of eating.

Crepes are one of the things I look forward to most when visiting Paris, and I have a particular favourite near the Pompidou Centre:

Bienvenue à la Crêperie Beaubourg.

It’s become something of a tradition for me.

There is something about eating a crepe in Paris that feels like part of the creative experience too - sitting outside, watching the city go by, sketchbook nearby and no particular hurry to be anywhere else.

Notre-Dame - the beauty of craftsmanship

We also went back into Notre-Dame, and it was wonderful to see it again.

What struck me most again was the craftsmanship.

The care and skill that has gone into bringing the building back is extraordinary. What I found particularly moving is how difficult it can be to see where the new work begins - it has been restored with such incredible precision and sensitivity.

It is a wonderful reminder of what is possible when you have highly skilled people, time, patience and a commitment to doing something properly. I really hope the Glasgow-School-of-Art can be restored in the same sympathetic skilled way.

As someone who works with makers and manufacturers to produce textiles, that really resonates with me.

There is so much value in craftsmanship.

Bourse de Commerce - art inside architecture

Another highlight was the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection.

I absolutely adore this building.

The architecture is spectacular, but what makes it so interesting is the way it has been restored and opened up as a space for contemporary art.

The installation of ‘the cloud’ by Fujiko Nakaya was particularly immersive and fun to experience. I love when art changes the way you experience a building rather than simply sitting inside it.

The Bourse de Commerce is a great example of how an historic building can have a completely new life without losing its character.

And, naturally, I came away thinking about surfaces, scale, texture and colour.

Then we went into the Church behind here - Bienvenue a Saint-Eustache and wow I can’t believe I haven’t been in here before! I did some superb brass-rubbings - a new place to go to feel inspired and peacefully remember the loved ones I miss so much.

Clignancourt — treasure hunting

No trip to Paris is complete for me without a trip to Clignancourt.

I love wandering through the flea markets and looking at all the things people have collected over decades - furniture, fabrics, objects, pictures, books, lamps and all sorts of wonderfully random things.

There is something very inspiring about seeing objects removed from their original context.

A faded fabric might suddenly make you think about a colour combination. An old chair might inspire a shape. A piece of furniture might suggest a pattern.

You never quite know what you’re going to find.

This time we also discovered La Recyclerie, which came highly recommended.

It is somewhere I’m definitely going back to.

We stopped for coffee and I loved the interiors - full of interesting objects, plants, reclaimed details and things to look at. It has that slightly thrown-together quality that actually feels very considered.

Exactly the sort of place I love.

Walking, shopping & discovering things

One of my favourite ways to explore Paris is simply to walk.

We walked from the Bourse de Commerce back towards Bastille, via the Pompidou, stopping in second-hand shops and boutiques along the way.

Rue de la Route Sicile is a street full of second-hand shops and Bobby Boutiques were among the places we discovered, and I always enjoy seeing how Parisian shops put things together.

My favourite clothes shop is still Agnès b.

There used to be a wonderful button shop nearby too, which has sadly closed. I’m always slightly fascinated by these little specialist shops - the places that have existed for years and have become part of the fabric of a neighbourhood.

When they disappear, something is lost.

And then there are the gardens…

We also walked through the Tuileries Gardens to see the Olympic balloon.

Even when you have a list of places you want to visit, I think some of the best Paris moments happen when you are simply walking between them.

A glimpse of a garden.

A beautiful doorway.

A tiled floor.

A colour combination in a café.

A tiny shop window.

A piece of graffiti.

A flower growing through a pavement.

All of these things find their way into the visual library in your head.

And eventually, perhaps, into a sketchbook.

My Paris creative hit list

If you’re heading to Paris and want to mix art, design, food and a little bit of treasure hunting, these were my highlights from this trip:

For art

Musée d’Orsay - especially Bonnard, Monet and Van Gogh
Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection
The Curator Gallery
Galleries and small exhibitions wherever you happen to find them

For inspiration

Clignancourt flea markets
La Recyclerie
Walking around the Marais and Bastille
Tuileries Gardens
The architecture of Notre-Dame
The Grand Palais

For food

Crêpes near the Pompidou — Bienvenue à la Crêperie Beaubourg
Le Grand Café at the Grand Palais for a special occasion

For shopping

Agnès b.
Second-hand and vintage shops around the Marais
The smaller independent boutiques you find when you walk rather than take the Metro

We stayed in Bastille this time, which I loved. It felt like a great base for exploring on foot and made it very easy to get around.

Coming home with a sketchbook full of ideas

I always come back from Paris wanting to make things.

That, for me, is the real reason to travel.

It isn’t necessarily about seeing the famous sights - although Paris has plenty of those. It’s about filling your eyes with things you don’t normally see.

Different colours.

Different proportions.

Different ways of combining old and new.

Painted surfaces.

Architectural details.

Fabrics.

Objects.

Flowers.

Food.

People.

And the little imperfections that make places interesting.

My British Seasons collection grew out of exactly this kind of looking - daily sketchbook practice, paying attention to the changing colours, shapes and rhythms around me.

So perhaps this was really just another research trip.

A few days away.

A lot of walking.

A lot of crepes.

Three artworks on a Parisian gallery wall.

And a sketchbook quietly filling up with the beginnings of whatever comes next.

Not a bad excuse to get back on the Eurostar.