First of all thank you so much for having subscribe to my newsletter. I am so delighted to having you here, and sharing this space with you.
Today, I would like you to join me and explore back the creation of my latest little collection.
When I reflect on the origin of this collection and the start of 2024, I think about how hard it was for me to establish a direction for my art. My heart was swinging between illustration and painting, and it still does at times today. I remember how I was struggling to find time to create, and find the courage to share my work online.
I found myself wrestling with my ideas and figuring out where to take my art. I was craving something that would allow me to explore the various sides of my creativity, and bring back the joy of painting.
Then came February and the wonderful 100-day challenge. If you have never heard of it, it is a time where artists of various craft focus on creating something everyday for a 100 day.
So, I thought I should use this momentum to give it a go, create, and see where it takes me. I started it small first with a 10-minute sketching journey in my sketchbook, following the 10-minute artist from Adam Ming advice. It was really fun to take some time during the day to stop and sketch. But I was missing the painting part a lot.
It was my second time doing the 100-day challenge. The year before, but stopped halfway because the pace was hard to keep and having a newborn at home didn’t help. I didn’t lose hope yetmthat one day, I will be able to make it until the end of the challenge.But 2024 is probably not going to be that year either.
So, what started with an ambitious 100-day,ended up as a 15-day of oil painting collection.
Indeed Monique Fedor, a wonderful Australian artist launching her 15-day art challenge in parallel provided me with the perfect opportunity to create at my pace. Monique is an artist I admire, and whose journey navigating motherhood and art has been very inspiring to me. Every year, she creates an art challenge to get our creative juices flowing, and like me she likes to paint small. And all of a sudden, the chance to tackle 15 days instead of 100, lifted a weight of my shoulders. I felt I could do this.
Slowly, I began to walk along a more promising path.
I decided to use this chance to explore the topic of still-life. I already did it last year on Emma’s Carlisle patreon, but most of it stayed in my sketchbooks. This year, I wanted to create a body of work inspired by table scenes of the cafés and bistros of Paris and Italy, as well as a sense of home and comfort found in still-lifes arrangements.
Bits by bits, a theme around those table scenes started coming to life. I liked how it the painting showed a meal, an empty cup of coffee or even a drink…each bringing a sense of comfort that comes from the safety of a home or a familiar place.
It wasn’t until half of the collection was completed that I took a step back and saw a similarity in the composition and the themes.
Loneliness and togetherness came slowly as a reference, and felt in love with it dearly.
My paintings soon began to resemble all the feelings I was experiencing in my life at that moment, like the pleasure of setting a table for a loved one, or the memories of going to a café alone with a good book, a summer tapa table with friends and laughter. Loneliness and togetherness, old friends, and reminders of comfort.
There is a beauty that comes with being alone and enjoying the silence, which is reflected in one of my favorite painting of the collection “ Alone with silence” (shown below).
I love how this collection takes another take on still-life painting and allows the viewer to create their own narrative of what is happening in the scene.
They represent mundane moments of everyday life but promise to bring beauty and love into your homes. They all represent in a way moments of peace, so each painting in this collection feels peaceful and calm.
I truly loved infusing each piece with depth and meaning. Each layer is a testament to the passage of time and memories of a feeling.
In this collection, I invite you to appreciate the comforting embrace of a table. Enjoy the beauty of the simple moments. Appreciate the delicateness of small paintings.
Thank you for spending your time here! May these paintings resonate with you as they have with me—
Love,
You can download the collection lookbook here.
Even before reading your description, Meo, when I looked at your paintings I immediately imagined myself sitting at that table, by the vase, filled with a sense of HOME, comfort and belonging. Beautiful. 🙏