30 Works in 30 Days - Done!

30 days of not getting enough sleep and ignoring my long to-do lists. But that's okay. Because in return I have got my creative drive back. Plus the habit of daily blogging.

I feel that I have grown during this challenge. I think my compositions have improved, my techniques are better, and I tried different color palettes.

For example, yellow has become my friend. Especially the light and greenish shades.

I'm taking more time now thinking about color combinations, instead of just trusting my guts. I am naturally drawn to bold colors. But those don't make sense, if they don't help deliver the message of the piece.

Also, I started layering colors for more depth.

And then the sewing threads. Last year I started using thread in some of my pieces, and I did it again and to a larger extent this time around. I like the look of it, and on top of that, sewing thread has a spiritual quality for me. I never really thought about that aspect before though.

Because the feel and the smell of sewing thread makes me think of my grandmother, who I loved and grew up with; she passed away about 25 years ago. She sewed many of my sister's and my dresses when we were children. I still hear the beautiful sound of her Pfaff machine, the mechanical kind with the pedal. She loved to sew, it was one of her art forms and also meditative for her, I think.

I've been keeping her thread spools and sewing notions in an old cookie tin, that's where she had them. The aroma is exactly like I remember it from my childhood. For the longest time, it somehow felt wrong to use the threads. But now I am enjoying it to incorporate her spirit in my art.

I need to focus on a few not-art-related things before I can go back into my studio to create. But my mind is already composing the next pieces.

Thank you all for following my work. Please keep commenting, I love your feedback!