This painting shows one of the things I look for in a floral subject. This particular sunflower just exudes "character". Even the leaves to either side show sass. And it was a really odd circumstance that lead me to paint this. I was driving around Altadena, and saw this great bloom, all by itself growing in the middle of a slightly unkempt lawn under a big tree. However, it was in shade, so it didn't look fabulous yet.
I went off to do my business, but I decided to return the same way on my way home. When I returned, there was a hole in the tree's canopy so the sunflower was beautifully lit. I screeched to a halt, dragged out my trusty camera, and there was the genesis of this painting. By working from photos when I do florals, I can catch the fleeting character of a unique experience. Boy, howdy.
I went off to do my business, but I decided to return the same way on my way home. When I returned, there was a hole in the tree's canopy so the sunflower was beautifully lit. I screeched to a halt, dragged out my trusty camera, and there was the genesis of this painting. By working from photos when I do florals, I can catch the fleeting character of a unique experience. Boy, howdy.