Stacey and I had a blast on our first trip to Paris. Especially liked the glitz of the area surrounding the Moulin Rouge – the giant neon windmill, the Art Deco architecture of the Metropolitain Stations, and the endless parade of night owls cruising the street. Caught this area one night just at the right time – daylight was fading but the area was just waking up.

My wife and I made our first trip to Paris December of ’03. On our first day in Paris, we practically devoured the city – walking from one end to the other in our attempt to make sure we didn’t miss anything. It was cold and bone-chillingly damp – we froze our butts off. The Eiffel Tower was more awe-inspiring than I realized it would be. The upper platform of the tower was barely visible through the low-ceiling – it seemed to be reminding us of how tall it really was – the low ceiling that day emphasized it’s height. It was both beautiful and humbling. Cruising past the tower, we stumbled upon an antique carousel, it’s warm lights a seeming oasis in the cold. The contrasts of the image – the carousel against the Eiffel Tower struck me. Warmth and cold, light and dark, familiar and unfamiliar. There were people all around us – on the street, near the carousel – yet we felt like we were the only people in the world taking it all in. I knew I needed to capture those contrasts on canvas.