The Colours I Brought Home From Europe
i didn’t go to Europe looking for painting inspiration. It was a family holiday — Italy, Greece, beautiful beaches, lots of gelato and plenty of walking with the kids.
But somewhere along the way, I was clearly collecting colours, shapes and little details without even realising it.
Looking back through my camera roll when we got home, there were colourful walls, old buildings, rows of vases and so many unexpected colour combinations.
The Colours of Burano
Burano was probably my biggest colour moment.
Soft peach next to powder blue, burgundy against pink, green beside terracotta — combinations I might never have deliberately put together, but somehow they just worked.
Venice, Greece & All the Little Details
In Venice, I kept noticing the imperfect buildings, windows, stripes and architectural shapes.
Then in Naxos, I photographed a little shop filled with vases of all different shapes.
I wasn't thinking about painting any of it at the time. I just loved what I was seeing.
Bringing It Home
When I started painting again at home, those little pieces of the trip began finding their way onto the canvas.
The colours of Burano, buildings of Venice and vases of Greece became checks, stripes, wonky florals and loosely painted vessels.
And eventually, they became Late Checkout.
The name felt perfect too — that feeling when the holiday is technically over, but you're not quite ready to leave.
Maybe that's the best thing about travel. You don't always realise what you've brought home with you until later.
Late Checkout
Original acrylic on canvas · 121 × 91cm