City of Muses

Season Four finale guest’s Richard Dailey is an American writer, artist, and independent film maker. His poetry, prose, art criticism, and photographs have appeared internationally in numerous journals, his films screened at festivals worldwide. He has had one-man shows of his art at Gallery Nadine Nieswawer and SometimeStudio in Paris. Opium Books published his novel Unplugged Yellow in 2016. He...

Erica Sand began her career in content management and creative copywriting, but when she fell into voice acting, quite by chance, she discovered a whole new world. Since then, Erica is the global voice of Ralph Lauren Romance perfume, Jepp, and Hotels.com, and has voiced campaigns for L’Oréal, Nestea, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and LinkedIn, as well as the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals, among others...

My guest this week is Swedish artist Ebba Palmstierna, also known as Ebba Pax. Ebba draws black and white beasts from other planes in a signature style that some find whimsical and others terrifiying, yet there’s a childlike quality that threads through them all. Recently, Ebba was asked to transform her small creatures into giant wall art in Romainville.  What was it like to make her small beasts...

Chef Eric Fraudeau knew he loved cooking at an early age, thanks to his grandmother and her farm. After traveling the world, cooking in places like Alcapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Montréal, and New York, and working in the kitchens of Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon, Eric returned to Paris and opened his own English language cooking school. This year, Cook’n with Class celebrates its 17th year.  Eric b...

French pianist Aurélien Pontier made his debut on the Opéra Garnier stage when he was only nine years old. As a teenager, he traveled Europe, winning 1st prizes and unanimous jury prizes. Now, Aurélien plays as a soloist, in chamber orchestras, and with full orchestras. His album “Vienna: Joyful Apocalypse” was released this year, and Classica Magazine called it ”brilliant, agile and refined, (his...

While it may have been the tech world that first brought Shri Amarasinghe from Sri Lanka to Paris, it was in the fashion world she found her home. Born to a long line of women with style and taste, Shri’s label Shabél Paris marries Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage and bright, bold colors with Paris’ elegance and refinement, creating pieces that are luxurious, sustainable, and beautiful.  Why doe...

When my friend told me she wanted to get a tattoo of Henry James on her arm, I’ll admit I was skeptical, but this week’s guest, Phu Phi Nguyen, did a spectacular job. Phu Phi doesn’t usually tattoo portraits at all, saving them for her paintings and murals. Her usual tattoo style is incredibly fine-lined, detailed, and beautiful. True works of art, often reserved for flowers and plants. Now co-own...

When Chelsey Pippin Mizzi first learned about tarot, she was skeptical. But when she discovered how it could help her tap into her creativity and unlock those blocks, she dove in feet first. Now, after more than 10 years of using tarot creatively both for hersekf and her clients, Chelsey is releasing her second book, “Tarot for Creativity.” What advice would Chelsey give to those new to tarot or t...

My guest this week is Elly Norris, an American who moved to Paris and became an actress and voice actress, fulfilling three dreams she never imagined possible. In addition to all her acting work, Elly has also helped create a new anglophone theatre troupe in Paris called Spin Cycle Theater, which recently returned from performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Their next performance will be a s...

Doni Belau began her third career with a dream and some intuition: women traveling in small groups around the world create a special kind of magic. Since 2009, Doni has been recreating this magoc through her company Girls’ Guide to the World, which now visits more than 40 countries around the globe. In our conversation, Doni shares what inspires her, what makes for an incredible travel experience,...

For the Season Three finale of City of Muses, I am honored to be speaking with Venezuelan-American painter and video artist Lala Drona. Lala Drona has been a part of multiple international residencies, and her work has been exhibited in galleries all over the world. In her work, she examines themes of women in the digital world, the male gaze, and the abject feminine. Her latest solo exhibit, Virt...

Chef Lisa Arielle Allen has many people’s dream job. She is a Pastry Chef, trained by the esteemed Ferrandi école de gastronomie, a Grand Juror for the Academy of Chocolate, and a certified Chocolate Taster from the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting. Lisa also founded Tarts & Truffles, a culinary consulting business in Paris, through which she offers tours, hands-on worksh...

What do you get when you cross an American from Cleveland with a comedy club in Paris? Well, you get this week’s guest: stand-up comedian Terrence Wong. Terrence is also host to Blast Off Comedy, a comedy club featuring weekly open mic, improv comedy, and stand-up comedy shows in English.  From hecklers to what makes a great host, Terrence chats about the Parisian comedy scene, what happened the f...

Born and raised in Paris, Aurélie Dhuit followed her curiosity for physics into University… where she fell in love with graphic design. Seven years ago, Aurélie followed her passions once again, moving from Paris to La Perche and beginning a new career as a wedding and event florist. As a graphic designer, Aurélie has worked with big names, like Longchamp, Roger&Gallet, Issey Miyaki, and Jean...

While originally from New York, this week’s guest, Adam Alexander, has worked internationally as a performer, movement instructor, fight director, and stage director in theater and opera. He has taught acting, movement, and stage combat in both the US and France, and recently co-founded Atlantic Theatre Arts, a company dedicated to promoting and connecting the Anglophone performing community in Pa...

My guest this week is writer and musician Samuél Lopez-Barrantes. Samuél teaches creative writing at the Sorbonne, and hosts literary walks and virtual salons in Paris. He was in the American folk-rock trio, Slim & The Beast, and he recently released a limited edition of his second novel “The Requisitions.” In our conversation, Samuél opens up about first loves, making music with his twin, his...

My guest this week is luxury fashion designer Ricardo Bernardino. I’m speaking to Ricardo mere weeks before his debut at Paris Fashion Week, where he will unveil his new “Sea to Silk Collection.” This bright and bold luxury collection features the artwork of Michel Deville, who was inspired by the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean. Michel has been painting for 70 years, but has refused to sell any o...

My guest this week is Khalif Tahir Thompson, a young African-American visual artist who is just about to graduate from the Yale School of Arts and will be having his very first solo exhibit in Paris, beginning this Thursday, March 28th. Kalif is a painter, printmaker and papermaker who creates bright and bold portraits, mixing textures, colors, and symbols, on large-scale canvases.  Khalif has bee...

Have you ever wondered if telepathy is real? Does magic exist? Can the future be predicted? Can a complete stranger read your mind? My guest this week is mentalist, coach, and actor Fabrice Ferra, who has been performing in stage shows all over the world, astounding audiences with his mind-reading abilities. In the lead up to his new show, “Mentalism à la Parisienne,” which opens in English in Par...

For the Season Three premiere of City of Muses, I am thrilled to introduce you to Jase King, a multidisciplinary artist from Australia, living in the City of Light. Jase is a talented painter, sculptor, and photographer, but its his avant-garde face masks, or face sculptures, that I was immediately obsessed with. You can see some of his brilliant work on the Paris Underground Radio Instagram accou...

Molly Wilkinson has always loved baking. One day, years into her career in a digital marketing agency, she decided to fly to France and enroll in Le Cordon Bleu. Once she was trained as a pastry chef, there was no stopping her. Now, Molly lives in Versailles and works full-time as a pastry teacher. She gives classes online and in person and her desserts are delicious, adorable, and designed to mak...

Anne Silver Mondinot worked with trauma survivors as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in America for 15 years, before moving to France, where she has fully embraced her artistic passions. Most of Anne’s work is photography-based, and she loves to experiment with new styles and techniques. She captures whole worlds in a single image, inspiring us to storytell. Her art is vulnerable, poetic, and be...

This week, my guest is Victor Schegin, a native Parisian whose first foray into the art world was as a 15-year-old street artist. As a painter, Victor explores vulnerability through his portraiture, often blending emotive, introspective models with bright, bold colors and abstract elements. Victor is generous with his time and talent, offering tips and tricks to his followers online. He is also an...

Laurie Catherine Winkel is an American actress and voice over artist who followed her passions to Paris, where she graduated from the prestigious Cours Florent acting school. As an actress performing in both France and the US, in shows like MacGyver and Squidbillies, and films like Father of the Bride and They Wait in the Dark, Laurie is in a unique position to talk about what it’s like to work in...

My guest this week is Agnès Sevestre, a Master Craftsman in Fine Crafts Engraving and the Founder of A.S. Bronze d’art. Agnés is one of only around 150 people in all of France qualified in this highly-specialized art form. She works with metals like brass, copper and bronze to apply ornamentation techniques to jewelry, furniture, light fixtures, silverware and more. Those beautiful handmade butter...