White Heart

White heart, gouache, conte, ink and graphite on paper, (22 × 30”).

White Heart is a minimalist drawing of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris that carries both personal memory and architectural grace. I created this with thoughts on the contour of the building, the skeleton of glistening, self-cleaning marble that lights up the hilltop of Montmartre, even in daylight. While living in Paris, I spent countless hours exploring the lines and textures of the city’s architecture, often beginning my sketches with a blind contour—a technique I still love for its intuitive, fluid energy. In this piece, made after returning home, I focused on the elegant flow of arches and domes, especially the delicious intersection where the left spire meets the tower. This Paris artwork is a quiet tribute to one of my favorite landmarks.