When I was seven my Dad died of cancer. Soon after, Mum took me and my two sisters to a tiny place in the South of France called Collioure. Here I discovered Matisse and Durain - who founded the fauvism movement where painters use colour to express emotion and place. I was a grieving seven year old who learnt that painting was a powerful way to express her emotions and start to fix her broken heart. Nearly 30 years later, I felt ready to return to this place which, in hindsight, was for me the very beginning of my life as an artist.

What I didn’t expect was a week of French storms and rain. Matisse always painted Collioure in the sun expressing the strong colours in the summer light, so this was a plot twist I hadn’t seen coming. The thing is, I think he missed out (Matisse come back)! This place in the stormy weather is biblical. The stormy skies are so dramatic and I’ve been reaching for blues I’ve not used before. My brush is wild and I’ve been fighting to hold on to the canvas. And as for Dad, grief will always be my storm cloud and I will always battle to paint my way through the roughest parts.

***

Collioure blue doesn’t have a trace of warmth, yet somehow it is a very honest and kind blue. Contrasting with the warmth of the fisherman’s cottages and the terracotta rooftops it’s an uplifting sight. The sky was putting on show after show, being more demanding than the sea to paint which is not what I'm used to.

The weather moved at such a pace that the clouds would change shape minute by minute. It was storm season and each scene begged for high contrast, intense navy with whiter than white clouds. The sea needed ice white for the waves breaking but then not even a cerulean blue more of an into blue to counter balance it, just to get the depth of the sea and the size of the waves. 

I’m incredibly proud of this collection. It’s my story with Collioure, both my heartache and my heart mend. The visual of Collioure is patched in where I tried to make sense of loosing my Dad, and it’s a real part of me. I hadn’t truly realised how the image of a place can support you, and breathe courage into you for a new chapter. 

This is a thank you to my Mum for taking her three girls to Collioure when she was grieving, and a thank you to the town for its colour and its kindness.

For any questions, please message us on WhatsApp or email info@emilypowellstudio.com