You must arrive with calm, elegance and silence or Eileen won’t let you enter
That’s what Elizabeth our tour guide instructed as she led us through the front door of E-1027 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the French Riviera.
E-1027 was Eileen Gray’s first architectural creation. It is one of three villas she designed along the French Riviera. Having passed through many owners, it fell into disrepair, until Cap Moderne, funded by the Conservatoire du Littoral, began to restore the villa, ensuring protection and maintenance of the site, its buildings and art works.
After many years of wanting to visit, I finally had the opportunity in August 2017. I wandered around the villa with our exceptional tour guide, and absorbed the thoughtfulness of each space, object and flow to the house, imagining Eileen there. It was a treasured experience. What I envisioned as a visit to fulfill curiosity turned out to be an exhilarating moment of inspiration.
Over the following week, unexpectedly, I spent my time interpreting parts of the villa on canvas with acrylic. I created five paintings based on different elements of the villa. They have become some of my proudest work.
Using silk screen printing, the original paintings have been transformed into prints. Digital prints, greeting cards and postcards are also available.
