In 2018, I developed bilateral trigger thumbs, which meant I could not tie my shoes, write my name, or hold a brush, much less paint. I wanted to keep painting while contemplating the possibility of surgery, but with both hands in metal braces, I had to devise a new way to work. I could grab a pen with my other 4 fingers, so I started making paintings by drawing with ballpoint pens, but they faded almost immediately. I wanted to create a more permanent version of these paintings. I searched for a way to reproduce the fine line of the ballpoint pen; thread came to mind. I “drew” with the thread, moving it around on colored paper which I photographed and used as studies for large paintings.