It didn't take very long, my paints & brushes & knives need to be with me wherever I am. My heart strings were tugging me to get back into my studio, so as the saying goes about the mountain, I brought my natural habitat to the store...

A section of the store has now transformed into my working studio space, complete with drop sheet { something which any of my studio's have NEVER seen the likes of } so when you pop in to peruse our fine wares you can now glimpse what it's like to see an artist at work.

With the Archibald prize on the horizon I'm feverishly working, placing the heels & polish to one side for my work boots & paint splattered shirts, bliss...

What a treat to take a trip a little further south this Australia Day, we closed up shop & hopped in the car in persuit of the perfect view & a beautiful little winery nestled a little away from the coastline, doing it's thing with flair. Cupitt's.

I felt like I had been hit with an arrow & sauntered into the sensation of a 'million miles away'...

Fresh country air, rolling mists & a killer rose were the notes of the day...

One of the greatest things about opening the doors to the LISA MADIGAN store has been all of the wonderful people that we have met so far.

Delightful creatives, distant admirers & those who simply stumble upon our little white sanctuary on their travels south or on their way out to grab some milk. I have had some lovely conversations & plenty of smiles with you all & hope many of you return time & time again to see what we're up to & soak up the space.

One such lovely encounter was with Vesna Petrinic-Soldan. A wonderful photographer & creative who has a divine folio & blog ART & VIE be sure to have a peek at her stunning photographs. Vesna { as most devout photographers } was armed with her camera when she arrived & I was thrilled when she asked if she could take a few shots of the store...

Click here to find us on google maps...

I'm in the midst of reading a new book that tells the tale of a particular journalists love affair with Paris, it travels through the mélange of myth & mystery, the arrogance & the allure...

It started me thinking & remeniscing over my own Parisian experience { a number years ago } & my own love affair with the city of light...

Paris of course for many of us has a certain je ne se quoi, we're drawn to the city of light like moths to a flame or in some cases a deer to headlights. Thankfully my pull was much like a lizard drinking up the summers heat, although much more glamorous of course & a little quicker in pace.

My personal experience of Paris was truly plum, I adored it. My man & I rented a perfect little Parisian apartment within a stones throw of the tour de eiffel & the informal yet immaculate picnics & romantic rendezvous on the lawns that surrounded it. We were to live in Paris for a little over a week & I was thrilled!

I am by nature one of those people who would happily hop a plane for a lunch date in Rome & then hop a plane back, a nature I happily shared with a gentleman I once met on a plane { unfortunately not on my way for a lunch date in Rome } he unraveled the story that his wife of 20 years did not want him to whisk her away to Paris & Rome as it was only going to be for a week. Sure, I would love to have months on end to languish in perfect destinations but sometimes when you only have a moment in a place the intoxication of it can be so intense that it will last a lifetime, not to mention the thrill of a brief indulgence. All of your senses are on alert even the strangeness of pavements & street signs hold all the wonders of the world.

My man & I held the key to our very own place in Paris & I was excited! We boarded our train from London in anticipation { my man's reasons of a little happy anxiety was for a reason apart from my own which I shall divulge a little later } . Once we emerged from the depths of la Manche I was instantly struck by that wonder that has affected so many artists & poets from centuries gone by, the light, it was magnificent & as we sped towards the city I was infatuated by the brilliance of it, it holds something very unique indeed, which I bathed in later on throughout Reims & Epernay, but I was in love already.

From fields to the heart of the metro we ambled out to the cab rank to hail our first venture into the streets of Paris & to our apartment. Our cab driver was rather sedated in comparison to the stories I've heard of near death experiences & we arrived at our polished brass door in tact.

After a bit of key jiggling we entered the cool of an alabaster courtyard streaming with green, little pot plants & bicycles strewn along our path. We ascended a winding staircase & then opened the door to our little french home, tiny, lovely, light filled.

After my ritualistic exploration of any temporary abode & a quick shower { from a Parisian tap, in Parisian water, in a Parisian bathroom, in our own spartment, in Paris } we were ready to explore.

I already felt at home.

With only our senses to guide us we set off with a luxurious stride onto the pavement & there at the end of our very own street I had my very first Parisian petite mort, it was the Eiffel Tower & I was breathless, yes I jumped up & down a little & yes there was a little tear, we were in Paris, it was real...