Oil on wood – 15,75 x 11,81 inch – Unique work

This special memory is so close to my heart …

I am somewhere in Scotland, in a small town sweetly named Calendar (quite a schedule!), Not far from Stirling, like the money! To make it short and giving away my terrible sense of humor, I am in the highlands, the wildest, authentic, mysterious region of the planet. I’m on vacation and it’s 1993.

A homecoming, a memory road trip, an essential step. A freeze frame for people with a soul, a real one. They are Pearl and Victor, a couple running a bed and breakfast, who became friends with my parents, my brother. After all these many years coming to stay with them. Because Scotland is a place you never get tired of. Yet, other northern countries caught my interest, like Norway, Sweden, Iceland … Maybe one day … Or in a next life …

Pearl and Victor lead a simple life surrounded by tremendous animals. I’ve always loved animals, as far as I can remember. Apart from hamsters, stick insects, I never had any with my parents. Once an adult, I pretended that my daughter was bored and asked for one to adopt Charly, my beloved ragdoll! Anyway let’s go back to my life… Because yes, there were sheeps and lambs to bottle feed, a goat and her two little lads Muffins and Two pence, and also a VIP in the family: a red tomcat! I didn’t keep his name in mind, but the softness of his coat sometimes haunts my hands. And his meow sometimes supports my nights.

He has a winsome look in his eye, so I’ll call him Squinty! Flawless playfulness, a heart dedicated to his human mum and dad and their friends, a natural gift for hunting the reckless small mammals that venture on his property. A crucial need to make friends with the outside world crowded by humans, potential caresses, foolish tales from all around the world, surprising smells. And when they come back … It’s definitely a party. An intact olfactory and auditory memory comes out of nowhere. So he runs to say hello.

This special memory is so close to my heart …