As soon as my studies at the famous Art School Ecole Emile Cohl are over, I sail away on a little boat to Middle East. Call in : Egypt and Yemen ! I share families daily life. Women's life above all really touch me. I keep their watercoloured portraits as treasures, with their children and husbands, their little boats and houses, their dreams and sighs.
Back to Europe, I put my backpack down in Madrid (Spain), good compromise between Oriental and Occidental, the good fresh Mediterrean way of life, actually ! Spain is a big step for me, as sketchers are really dynamic there (De vuelta con el cuaderno, Urban Sketchers), and mostly because I publish my Oriental sketchbooks in 2009 (Los viajes de Emily - Demipage).
The French Embassy in Spain follows me and sends me to the 4 corners of the peninsula to present my work (Universities, cultural centers, schools). I cover the whole country, drawing the road and people, the most important thing to me, people and their stories. Every sketch while meeting somebody inspires my illustrations for the books I publish.
Thanks to these workshops, I grow into a passionate teacher, inciting some drawing addicts in the spanish schools. Now my family is all around the world, so I try to gather useful-and-nice to-do's when I visit them : during summer 2010, I visit my cousin in Thailand. And Cambodia is not so far, so I teach at the Art School Phare Ponleu Selpak to young artists.
I also teach in orphanages, strong moments with Burmese refugees. Later at Istambul, I visit my aunt : a Turkish volunteer had heard me on the Spanish radio, she sends me a mail : "Shall we organise an ebru workshop for the children ?" No sooner said that done.
I hope to visit my brother in China one day : he's got a sketchbooks shop with his wife !
In 2012, I come back to Lyon to teach urban sketching and figure drawing at Ecohlcité Art School. Still drawing hugely in my sketchbook, I testify with words and drawings, not judgmental. I had a revelation when I helped a French radio journalist to make a report about indignates in Madrid.
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