More than 1,000 paintings.
When I recently did the math and realized I had reached that milestone, I had a strange feeling.
1,000 works is a lot. And behind that number lie, above all, years of work, experimentation, mistakes, doubts, encounters, sales, soul-searching… and, of course, a tremendous amount of painting.
The funny thing is, nothing really pointed to me becoming a painter.
I didn’t go to art school. I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a painter. At one point, I even had a lot of preconceived notions about abstract painting!
And yet, in 2010, a simple painting would completely change the course of my life. Pasted text
Today, after having painted more than 1,000 paintings, I wanted to look back on this journey.
It all started in front of an abstract painting
It is 2010.
I was spending the evening at a friend’s house when my gaze fell on an abstract painting. I especially remember that carmine red and that little blue line.
And then something happens.
For a few moments, I almost feel as if everything around me has come to a standstill.
Abstract painting, which I had previously viewed with great detachment, suddenly stirred something very powerful within me.
That was probably when I realized—though I wasn’t yet able to put it into words—something that would become essential to my artistic practice:
There’s nothing to understand; there’s everything to feel.
I’m heading home, but this painting keeps weighing on my mind.
An idea then starts to form in my head:
What if I tried painting, too?
My first paintings… on a coffee table
Back then, I was a long way from the studio where I work today.
I live in a small apartment that’s about 30 m² and, of course, I don’t have a room set aside for painting.
So I make do with what I have.
I paint on my coffee table.
I’m just getting into acrylic painting; I’m experimenting, making a lot of mistakes, and getting paint all over the place.
On the table, on the floor, in the sink…
I don’t like many of my early paintings, and they end up getting washed away. The few paintings I keep, I hide behind my couch. Pasted text
Why hide them?
Because I don’t really own up to what I do.
I don’t consider myself a painter at all. I’m just starting out, I don’t know how to draw, and no one around me really knows that I paint.
Until one day, a friend discovered one of these paintings.
“Don’t you want to sell me this painting?”
During a birthday party at my house, one of my friends knocked his glass over near the couch.
While cleaning, he spots the paintings hidden behind them.
One comes out.
Needless to say, I, for one, am extremely uncomfortable!
Then he asked me something I hadn’t expected at all:
“Don’t you want to sell me that one?”
My first reaction is to think that he just wants to make me happy.
No way.
He really likes the painting.
And this little experiment gave me an idea: rather than just letting my paintings pile up, why not try putting a few of them up for sale online?
My first painting sold for €29
So I’m starting off very modestly.
I’m trying eBay, Le Bon Coin, and the Internet in general.
And I made my first real sale:
29 €.
Today, that amount may seem insignificant. Back then, it meant the world to me.
Someone I didn’t know was willing to spend their money to hang a painting I had created in their home. Pasted text
It was incredible.
At the same time, I had a skill that would prove very helpful: I worked in website design and search engine optimization.
So I’m creating my own website dedicated to my paintings and starting to work on its search engine optimization.
Little by little, the first visitors are starting to arrive.
Then came the first sales.
No, making a living as a painter isn’t a matter of “luck”
Over the years, I’ve sometimes heard:
“You’re lucky to be able to sell your paintings.”
Or:
“You’re lucky to have your own studio.”
But when you get to know someone after years of working together, you usually only see the tip of the iceberg.
Here’s the result.
You don’t necessarily see the years spent working in the evenings, at night, or on weekends.
I could get up at 5:30 a.m. to write articles, work on my website’s SEO, or paint before starting my workday.
It’s not very spectacular.
But that’s also part of it—gradually building an artistic career. Pasted text
I didn’t just decide one morning to give up everything in the hope of making it as an artist.
The transition took place gradually.
And that, in fact, is a piece of advice I would give to anyone who wants to become a professional painter today: don’t necessarily rush things.
Build your business on the side whenever possible, test the market, develop your work, and see what works.
YouTube is going to change my business yet again
Around 2015–2016, I also started posting videos on YouTube.
To start with, I mainly create slideshows featuring my paintings.
It hardly works at all.
Then I decided to film a painting demonstration.
And then I discover something.
There is another audience that isn’t necessarily interested in buying my artwork but wants to learn how to paint and discover my abstract painting techniques.
So I’m starting to share more.
The videos are gaining traction, and gradually, the idea of creating online painting classes is also taking shape. Pasted text
This is another important milestone in my journey.
I don’t want to just create anymore.
I also want to share what I know.
In 2018, I decided to become a full-time painter
Finally, a particularly important decision is made.
In 2017, I started working part-time so I could further develop my artistic career.
Then, in 2018, I left my previous job for good.
This decision wasn’t made on a whim.
At that point, I was already generating income from my artwork and my training courses. So I had laid the groundwork for this transition before devoting myself entirely to my passion. Pasted text
It was also during this time that my current studio began to play a central role in my life.
A real space where I can paint, create my videos, develop my training courses, and write my books.
When I think back to that little coffee table from when I first started out, the journey I’ve taken sometimes seems almost unreal.
And then one day… Painting No. 1,000
The years go by.
I paint.
Over and over again.
Some pieces sell quickly, while others stay with me for years.
My paintings are sold in France, as well as in Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, and other countries. Pasted text
And then I come up with this number:
1000.
Starting with my 1,000th painting, I decided to change a habit.
For years, I’ve given titles to my works.
But constantly coming up with a new name that had a special meaning was becoming almost a burden.
So I decided to keep it much simpler.
Painting No. 1000 has become… Painting 1000.
Then come 1001, 1002, and so on.
Ultimately, I find that this numbering tells a story in and of itself: the story of all the works that came before it. Pasted text
What 1,000 Paintings Have Taught Me About Creativity
When you start painting, a certain fear often creeps in:
“What if I ran out of ideas?”
After painting more than 1,000 paintings, I can tell you that creativity doesn’t really work that way.
One idea leads to another.
A technique opens a new door.
And above all, a mistake can sometimes become the starting point for an entire series.
Some of my recent creations that I particularly like actually came about because of a mistake that I decided to turn to my advantage. Pasted text
That’s also why I think an artist should never consider that he or she has definitively “found” himself or herself.
We need to keep experimenting.
Keep learning.
Keep challenging yourself.
More than 1,000 paintings… but in the end, that’s not what matters most
Looking back, what touches me most about this adventure isn’t really the number of paintings I created.
It’s the people I’ve met through all of this.
I regularly get messages from people who watch my videos to learn how to paint—obviously—but also just to have a good time.
I’m thinking in particular of that woman who told me that, after her husband passed away, she would eat breakfast with my tablet in front of her and one of my videos playing.
Then, on some days, she would find the motivation to pick up her paintbrushes and paint herself. Pasted text
A message like that really puts a lot of things into perspective.
If a video, a lesson, or simply the way I share my passion can inspire someone to create, take their mind off things, or lift their spirits a little…
So as far as I’m concerned, it’s a done deal.
From 0 to 1,000 paintings… what now?
I don’t know exactly where all of this will lead me.
Maybe one day I’ll work in a different studio.
Maybe my painting will change completely again.
Actually, I hope so.
Because this adventure has taught me one thing: to keep creating is to keep growing.
In 2010, I didn’t know how to paint.
I was working on a coffee table in a small apartment and hiding my first creations behind my couch.
To date, I have painted more than 1,000 paintings.
And in the end, that number doesn’t make me feel like I’ve accomplished anything.
Above all , it makes me want to see what painting No. 2,000 will look like.
Mes dernières créations
Découvrez mes derniers tableaux abstraits disponibles.
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