A glimpse at the still-life collection paintings

First of all thank you so much for joining me in this intimate exploration 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 (PS: it still does). And, I was struggling to find time to create and 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. I thought I should use this chance to just explore my art, 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.

Slowly I started to gather inspiration

Collecting inspiring images, sketching table scenes and café scenes.

I did start a 100-day challenge the year before, but stop halfway because the pace was hard to keep, and it was just difficult to paint non-stop for 100-days with a newborn. I don’t lose hope that one day, I will be able to make it until the end.

So, what started with an ambitious 100-day,ended up as a 15-day of oil painting collection. Slowly, I began to walk along a more promising path.

It all started with Monique Fedor’s launching her 15-day art challenge. 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.

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.

Bits by bits, a theme around those table scenes started building up. I liked how it all starts with a meal, and a drink…a sense of comfort that comes from the safety of a home. 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.

Painting of “when you are gone”. “flowers by the window” and “before the coffee gets cold” , available in the shop

***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 home. 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,

Meo