Brigitte Langlois is among those who can?t be behind a desk all day long with a mouse and a screen for company. She needs to feel her pencil or her paintbrush between her fingers to feel alive. She needs to do what she likes most in life: creating original handicraft items or making paintings on different bases ? from pieces of wood to sea-urchins. Her latest creations are greetings cards with her own paintings printed on them.

A bunch of orange-yellow coconuts, typical flowers or shells of Mauritius? These are some of the images that can be found on Brigitte?s cards. Friends living abroad would surely be delighted to receive typically Mauritian cards at the end of the year, as they would have the impression of getting a special thought from their Mauritian friends.

Urchin spines and snail shells

Nature is Brigitte?s source of inspiration. All her creations are either made with products collected on the beach or are inspired by what she has seen while walking around. ?Everything is made with natural and local products. When I go to the beach, I prefer to dive and collect dead sea- urchins rather than sit down and gossip??

She insists that she would never pick up live animals or shells. ?In fact, I throw away nothing at home. After we eat mussels at dinner, I just wash the shells and use them to decorate a photo frame or embellish a simple pencil. I do the same with urchin spines or snail shells.?

Brigitte is aware that she is lucky to be able to do what she likes. Although she sells some of her products to hotel shops or other shops where there are a plenty of tourists, she knows she would never be able to make a living with such a ?business.? ?I choose to stay at home and work at my own pace ? and not earn millions of rupees ? rather than having strict office hours and doing what other people tell me to do? I am free!?

After studying graphic design in South Africa, Brigitte worked for a few years for a South African company. ?At the beginning, graphic design was done with a pencil and a lot of imagination? Now, I have the feeling that the computer tends to play a much too important part in the designer?s work? And that?s a pity because there is definitely far less feeling that can pass through the screen.? This might be one of the reasons why she decided to dedicate her time to what she really likes doing: painting?

I have been doing exhibitions for years. ?Painting is my real passion. But I like any manual work and making things with my hands comes naturally to me?? This is how she started making handicraft products. ?In fact what I like most is to try out different techniques. I may not succeed the first few times but when I achieve the result I expected, I am so happy?? Brigitte has made a domino game with shells which tourists would surely love? But she has not found the right support yet? So it is in one of her drawers waiting for inspiration to come?

The Terre de Paix experience

The artist was among the eighteen painters contacted by Terre de Paix to help collect some money to enable children to enjoy the end of year festivities. She contributed to the association by donating one of her designs for a card. They will be sold by the association and all the money will go to the children. She also took part in the ?collective painting? done by the eighteen painters. ?This was a wonderful experience both at an artistic and a personal level.? The painting has already been sold but it will now be used as a design for the greetings cards. ?This is definitely something I would wish to do again.?