The Creative Life in Paris: ‘Thinking in Watercolor’ by Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Illustrator, live event artist, author, and standup comedian Jessie Kanelos Weiner has always been “chronically creative”. Her passion for art and creativity are encapsulated perfectly in the books she writes, most notably Paris in Stride: An Insider’s Walking Guide and her latest, Thinking in Watercolor.

Mar 9, 2025 - 17:56

The Creative Life in Paris: ‘Thinking in Watercolor’ by Jessie Kanelos Weiner

Illustrator, live event artist, author, and standup comedian Jessie Kanelos Weiner has always been “chronically creative”. As she describes, “It’s how I interact with the world, how I feed my soul and how I connect with others. Living life sparks my creativity.” Her passion for art and for creativity are encapsulated perfectly in the books she writes, notably Paris in Stride: An Insider’s Walking Guide (a longtime favorite of HIP readers!) and Edible Paradise.

Her latest book Thinking in Watercolor is a 30 day how-to guide on how to paint with watercolors and use the medium to make sense of and communicate one’s own experiences. With anecdotes from her time in Paris and helpful tips, Jessie inspires both beginners and experienced painters alike to tell their own stories and to cultivate creativity.

The cover of Thinking in Watercolor agains a watercolor background of shades of grey.

Originally from the Northside of Chicago, Jessie worked as a costume designer in New York before moving to Paris more than a decade ago. Now, she owns an art studio in Montreuil and contributes her watercolor illustrations to a myriad of brands, such as Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, and Vogue, “creating worlds” for them.

Jessie recently shared with us her experience of building a life and carving out a career path in Paris, as well as her inspiration forThinking in Watercolor.

A collage of Jessie Kanelos Weiner painting plus images of some of her paintings.

How long have you lived in Paris, and how did you come to live here?

After graduating from college, I had a year before I had to pay off my student loans so I accepted an au pair job in Paris for a year. This was over 16 years ago. Long-story short, I was drawn by love to stay, but it took many years to find my voice and place here.

How did you navigate the process of becoming an expat? What was that experience like?

I consider myself an immigrant because I have invested to stay in France indefinitely. I quickly realized that Paris was not what I expected. It was cold, grey and I felt a true sense of otherness for the first time in my life. Everything seemed impossible for the first couple of years. I was nobody! Even with New York experience, I couldn’t make contacts or find any job prospects. This is the moment where I had to pivot and reinvent myself.

I started a blog in 2011 where I shared my musings on adjusting to Parisian life, settling down with a Frenchie and all the times I put my foot in my mouth. Instead of adding bad phone photos, I illustrated each post with a watercolor. I was merging my own words with my own visual and something really clicked from within. Little by little, I started getting commissioned to illustrate magazines and books. I don’t think my success happened by chance. First I had to accept the fact that I needed to evolve and I embraced how my differences could set me apart.

A water color collage of croissants painted by Jessie Kanelos Weiner.

You’ve worked as an artist, a comedian, a professor, an author, worked with a myriad of companies, and have had your work featured in many publications. What has that journey been like?

Most of my work is autobiographical so it’s all interconnected. Humor is a big way I’ve dealt with the many challenges of integrating into French life. And there’s an overlap in everything that I do. I think artists have the ability to work within different media. And I hope to continue to evolve into whatever is next for me.

How did “Thinking in Watercolor” come to be? What inspired you to write it?

I kept asking myself, “What is the book that only I could write?” I thought, ”How could I mix watercolor technique while also empowering readers to tell their own stories?” I wrote my new book Thinking in Watercolor for this younger version of myself who was longing to find her voice as an artist, but just couldn’t figure it out yet.

What would you say are the greatest challenges and rewards of pursuing a creative career in Paris?

France is all about rules and gatekeeping. If you don’t follow the designated path to do something, you really have to pave your own path. I think because I didn’t know the rules when I started my career, I wasn’t afraid to pick up the phone and call potential clients. Thinking differently has been the thing that sets me apart. One of the rewards of being an artist in Paris is that people have cultural currency and can speak of books, movies, opera etc. I can speak freely about my work and people generally get what I do. In the States, it’s more “I like your art” and it ends there.

In your book, you mention some cultural faux pas. What are the funniest misunderstandings you’ve experienced while living in Paris?

I was a babysitter back in the day. I meant to send a “gros bisou” (translation: big kiss) to my boss, but autocorrect rewrote it as gross bisexual.