Paint Brushes and Cream Cheese Frosting

Getting to know fellow expats has been the highlight of my move to Paris. I’ve mentioned it before, but I have to say it again – I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such creative and interesting women. So when Kasia from Love in the City of Lights mentioned that she was planning a hand-painted canvas bag workshop in conjunction with her company, I jumped on it! Not only would I learn about the skills that go into her beautiful collection of hand-painted totes (that have had quite a success, I might add) amongst other interesting people, but I’d also have a morning to expel some of the creative energy I’d been feeling pent up.

Kasia sharing her inside secrets and creative process!

Weeks later, the Saturday morning finally came. I had had an idea of what I wanted to paint, but after three weeks it wasn’t jiving with me anymore. Probably a good thing as I would have been stuck with a bag I didn’t like. But that meant I was heading into this inspiration-less.

Image courtesy of Kasia Dietz Handbags

It wasn’t until I was sitting at the long table, an array of colorful paints lined up in front of me, that an old design idea I once played with came back to me. Within minutes I found myself carefully measuring within a perfect square, attempting to simplify the complex geometry at the basis of Renaissance architecture.

Image courtesy of Kasia Dietz Handbags

Card stock Ruler Pencil [Eraser] Scissors… I was just about ready to trace my design onto my canvas when someone had the bright idea to take a break. And after my short review of geometry, I was ready. Lucky for us, the break included the most fabulously delicious carrot cake (which you may remember from my David Lebovitz post).

Delicious carrot cake! Three layers is still quite a bit to handle.

Coffee and ink colors – don’t mix the two.

Time went by so fast – most of it spent laughing with the other “designers-in-the-making” and munching on treats while Kasia shared her creative insight and excellent eye for design.

Laughing with Kasia and Milla of Not Just Another Milla. Image courtesy of Kasia Dietz Handbags

Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not

In the end I spent more time with the ruler than I did the ink – which surprised me since I came so close to just free-handing it and going a little Rothko or Pollock on my bag. I love the final design – not too touristy and with a clever bi-lingual play on words (thanks to OPI Paris nail polish colors). Of course, we are our best critics and there are some changes I’d make if I were to repeat it. I believe another workshop will soon be in the works so if you’re interested, be sure to follow Kasia Dietz’s Bags on Twitter.

Image courtesy of Kasia Dietz Handbags

Until then, perhaps you’ll start to notice a few great hand-painted canvas bags circulating around Paris. That’d be Kasia’s doing; she’s making quite a splash!

First image courtesy of Kasia Dietz Handbags

Tagged as: Expat, Paris