Paris locked In Time: A Scarf Story

“Paris locked in time” is part of the travel series and was a joy to make.

Paris is one of my favorite city and was an inspiration for the scarf, below is the story about making the piece and the thought process involved.

One of my favorite things to do is see exhibits and be inspired by other creatives. On a visit to MOMA, I had come across Matisse’s cut-outs  which proved to the inspiration for the starting point of this piece.

Starting with pen and ink drawings of multiple locks and keys, I intended to make the Pont Des Arts or the bridge of locks, where couples padlocked their love onto the grillwork of the bridge.

I drew and discarded numerous locks and matching keys (supposed to be thrown into the Seine after securing the lock). They were then cut out and ready for stage two.

Here are a few scattered on my bed as I tried to make an arrangement. I thought about a grill and affixing them on a bridge but it was too mundane and I looked further.

When working on a piece I usually talk about with my family and friends about it. As I was mulling about the formation, I arranged them in a circle and my son came up with the idea of a clock we had seen at the Musée d’Orsay, a beautiful spectacle as you cross the Seine.

I was in love with the idea, it was “Paris, locked (get the pun) in time”.

I had the hands as keys but changed my mind at the end and substituted with some calligraphy.

The next step was to lay it all out on the canvas and sketch the outline of the clock and where the pieces would lie.

I chose subtle classic pastels for the color, but may do a black and white version at a later date.

After painting, I set about decoupaging, which was a messy and painstaking affair.

In the end, I was happy with the finished piece. It holds special meaning for me and memories of my favorite city.

The scarf comes as a square classic piece and also as a longer version with a repeat of three clocks, interestingly the total number of large clocks in the museum. 

The travel series is a memoir of my travels and creativity inspired by these wondrous locations.

You can find the scarf here!

Have you visited Paris? Isn’t she beautiful? Taking about the locks and the bridge coming down, do you wonder how many keys are resting in the bed of the Seine? 

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