Fragments

A thought for my great-grandfather: André Eugène Costilhes.

I may have inherited from him a certain attraction to art. Visual arts have always drawn me in since childhood. Music came later. I explored both of these fields, with varying degrees of success.
Time will tell whether some of my works will be appreciated by a certain number of people, during my lifetime or not. My goal is not to please, but rather to do what I love.

I wanted to pay tribute to A.E.C., who left behind numerous paintings, now more or less scattered. Some have remained within the family, while others have found their way elsewhere.
His grandson - my uncle, my mother’s older brother - worked to ensure that his works would not be forgotten. With the help of my aunt and my cousin, they created a book retracing his journey and his creations. I cherish this book and am deeply grateful to them for the work they accomplished.

Here is the back cover of this book, which includes a short biographical summary of his life:

I strive to adopt this approach as much as possible: doing what we enjoy, even if our work is not recognized, or if our activity barely allows us to make ends meet.
In our time - and perhaps even throughout history - most people have no choice and must work to earn their living. But I refuse to be fatalistic, to tell myself that 95% of people are destined to go to work reluctantly just to pay the bills, especially when they have passions and dreams they wish to pursue.

Lately, I often think about that famous meme / video clip of Shia LaBeouf in which he repeats: “Just do it… don’t let your dreams be dreams.”

This motivates me to believe in it and to take action as much as possible. My very first article already addressed this topic: living one’s dreams rather than dreaming one’s life. Today, more than ever, I am doing my best to turn this into my reality. The road ahead is still long, but little by little, the bird builds its nest.

I try to see my current situation as a blessing, to view the glass as half full. I tore a knee ligament about seven months ago and am still waiting for surgery. This injury has significantly affected me: I have been out of work since then, my income is very limited, I limp, I struggle to drive, I cannot bend my leg, and so on. In short, it impacts me on many levels; physically, psychologically, financially, and socially.

But I do not want to see this ordeal in a negative light. On the contrary, I am trying to make the most of it and to readjust my life around this condition. This is partly what led me to recently update my website, as well as my service offerings (language courses, crypto training, digital content creation services…).

And so I come full circle by continuing with this.
While I was finalizing my NFT collection Péo’s World, composed of 77 images and photographs representing my universe, I decided to include a painting by my great-grandfather, A.E.C. Most of the images in this collection have been retouched by me, and this time I chose to create an NFT from my favorite painting by A.E.C. : the one depicting his first wife, Jeanne Lafont.

In the book, there is a photograph of this painting. However, over time the painting has become somewhat cracked, and the woman’s face is not clearly discernible. I then thought of that good old AI, so often criticized lately. The idea came to me to attempt a more realistic version, one that would allow the face and aura of this woman to be seen more clearly.

I was very pleased with the result, and it even moved me deeply. What a beautiful tribute it felt like; to restore due recognition to my great-grandfather, a painter, by integrating the portrait of his beloved first wife while using modern tools he could never have imagined, in order to breathe new life into Jeanne. This experience moved me, and I wanted to share it through this article.

Here are the two images: the original, followed by the reworked and “enhanced” version created with the help of AI.

I do not know whether A.E.C. would have appreciated seeing his painting reinterpreted through artificial intelligence and shaped in a certain way. What is certain, however, is that my intentions toward him are entirely sincere, and that this process serves only to pay tribute to his work and legacy. I am honored to be part of his lineage, and I hope to continue nurturing my artistic aspirations and sharing them with the world, whatever form they may take; whether through visual arts, music, writing, or digital creation.

Here is a family tree included at the end of the book:

I invite you to strive to love your life, to find your ikigai, and not to fear judgment or the gaze of others, which can be limiting. Follow your heart and take care of yourself.

Here is the Wikipedia page for André Eugène Costilhes:

And here is the website about him, created by my cousin:

Péo ❤️