Florence Denou

"I do. Instinctively. Without calculation. Without artifice. I look for nothing. Or almost. In life. As in art. Except for the beauty of simplicity, the purity of truth, luminosity. And poetry. In everything. And as much as possible.  It is simple.

I like the etymology of the word poetry, which just means "to do", "to create". No frills. No posturing on my part.

When I pick up my pencils, my brushes, the ink or when I "tackle" the rock, the stone, the marble. It's all the same. It's like life. I try to keep it simple. Always. Not to look for an explanation. Or meaning. Don't say too much. Be clear. Transparent. I like to leave it to Life and Mystery. Who know very well what they are doing. Unlike me. Often.

I like colours. With a preference for upfront And I don't like to mix them.

I like blue. Above all. Which invites calm, contemplation.

I like blue. Of the sky. The bright blue. Of the day. The blue of work. The cartridge blue. The changing blue. Of the sea.


I like black. Deep. Unfathomable. Which absorbs the Light without giving it back. But contains it.  In its entirety. I like to create the night.


I like white. Which calls for silence. Infinite. Absolute.


And gold too, in memory of the time when I did gold leaf gilding. Perhaps.

I like the threads, the strokes, the curves, the lines, the verticals, the horizontals. Lines that cross and criss-cross. The bars. Rounds. The dots. Stone. The rock. That won't let you do it. "