French Roots, Californian Light: How Place Shapes My Palette

By Sebastien Montel

Every artist is shaped by place, not just by geography, but by light, culture, and memory. For me, my identity as a contemporary expressionist painter is grounded in a constant dialogue between my French roots and my Californian present.

France taught me stillness. I grew up surrounded by muted light and architecture that seemed to breathe with history. The air carried a quiet melancholy, an awareness of time passing, of stories lingering in the texture of walls and streets. That sensitivity formed the foundation of my work. My early paintings were introspective, rooted in shadow and restraint.

Then I came to California. The contrast was startling. Here, light is abundant, golden, cinematic, almost overwhelming. The Palm Springs art scene thrives on that radiance. It celebrates openness, saturation, and contrast. Over time, the desert’s vibrancy began to shift my perspective. My palette expanded. My compositions loosened.

Now, when I paint, I feel both influences coexisting. The structure and subtlety of Europe, tempered by the freedom and color of California.

This tension between order and spontaneity defines my practice. My expressionist painting techniques, layering, texture, deliberate distortion, are ways of reconciling those two worlds. I want my paintings to feel both grounded and expansive, introspective yet alive with movement.

Color, above all, became my language for balance. Exploring the psychology of color in art taught me that hue can hold emotion the way words hold meaning. The muted tones of my French past carry introspection; the saturated Californian light injects warmth, vitality, and hope.

The result is a body of modern expressionist art for collectors that tells a story of belonging, of bridging continents and emotions.

In a sense, my work is autobiographical without ever being literal. It’s about light as metaphor, color as memory, and painting as a way of mapping identity.

Between French restraint and Californian openness, I found my equilibrium, and in that balance, my voice as an artist truly emerged.