This was her first major trip outside New Zealand since sustaining severe burns in 2008.
"After the accident, I spent a long time living as a recluse -- so I now feel like I've discovered this big, open world," Bruce said.
"It was overwhelming -- there are so many people, and so much detail to take in.
"Exhibiting in this huge city among all these great artists does make one feel a bit inadequate -- but I hope to do it again."
The start of Bruce's European journey was a rocky one. Arriving in Paris, she discovered her largest painting hadn't arrived.
This lead to a fraught exchange with French airport staff, who spoke little English.
"It arrived after about an hour -- I don't know who was more relieved, them or me."
Another challenge was transporting her paintings on a tightly-packed subway during rush hour.
She was also surprised to arrive at the gallery on the morning of the exhibition opening to find none of her paintings had been hung.
"I thought perhaps they weren't doing a big opening after all.
"But, in the evening, there was a huge crowd of people waiting down the street.
"Someone told me later that's the French for you -- everything happens at the last minute."
She said her two abstract works were well received by the French crowd.
"A lot of people wanted to talk about my paintings, which was a real buzz.
"They appreciated them because they're not realistic -- you see what you want to see.
"The French are surrounded by all the great masters, but they're always looking for something new."
After a fortnight of sightseeing in Paris, Bruce headed to Italy and had yet more airport dramas, as one of her suitcases had been lost on the way to Milan.
She travelled to the small village of Brenta, on the banks of Lake Maggiore, where she stayed with Italian mosaicist Arend Wanderlust in his Bed and Breakfast, where he served predominantly Indian food, and played Indian music.
For the next two weeks, she worked with a group of 17 artists hailing from Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey and the US, making mosaics to decorate the Brenta village centre.
The public art project was inspired by the mountain town of Accumeggia, where amateur artists had painted murals in fresco-style on the sides of buildings.
"It was a wonderful way to beautify the area -- like having an outdoor gallery.
"They're really trying to spread the concept of street art in Italy."
Bruce particularly enjoyed meeting young people from Brenta, who gave her china plates to use for her mosaic.
"I felt bad, as they looked like collector's edition china.
"But they said, 'you must -- these are your style'."
She also enjoyed meeting her fellow mosaicists -- though was unable to perfect the Italian artists' technique of working in marble without "a few bruises".
Bruce said she has been invited to do a future exhibition in Paris with L'Association Mare Nostrum -- but, in the meantime, plans to organise a public mosaic project in Wairarapa.
