The First Time Ever I Saw You, Paris (Summer of 1984)

The First Time Ever I Saw You, Paris (Summer of 1984) was inspired by my first visit to Paris as a young student in the summer of 1984. Arriving with little money, a backpack, and a rail pass, I discovered not merely a city but the possibility of a larger and more beautiful life.

Rendered in luminous shades of blue, this original oil portrait captures a moment suspended between memory and imagination. Rather than depicting Paris itself, the painting expresses the emotional awakening that Paris inspired—a quiet encounter with beauty, longing, and the promise of becoming someone new.