One of the best things about travelling and visiting new places is coming across something totally unexpected. You are filled with a wonderful sense of excitement and the knowledge that you have discovered something out of the ordinary and off the beaten track.

This is exactly how I felt when I was driving through the small fishing town of Ferragudo in the Algarve and I spotted a brightly coloured building at the side of the road. Pulling over, I saw that it was an Atelier, an art studio, and the door was open. Being an art lover and having a curious nature, I decided to take a closer look. Stepping through the big wooden door, I felt like I’d discovered another world.

Sylvain Bongard is a talented artist who has developed a distinctive and modern style of painting on ceramic tiles, using rich and bright colours. He takes his inspiration from the natural world and has incorporated the natural world into his studio!

The artwork is stunning and is interspersed with beautiful plants and flowers: there is a pond with terrapins in the middle of one room and a humid, tropical rainforest area outside. It really is magical and the perfect backdrop to the gorgeous pieces of art!

I couldn´t resist buying a vibrant tile painting of an owl, which I carefully took home, along with my memories of this art lover’s haven.