Sunflower #8

Sunflower #8, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 14"x8", $250

Day 9 of the 30 Day Challenge.  Sharp observers will note that I just skipped a day.  I spent the day yesterday helping hang an art exhibit at the Bryan Gallery in Jeffersonville, VT.  A group of volunteers, including yours truly, put up about 100 paintings for the Land and Light and Water and Air Juried Show.  If you are in the area, stop in and see the exhibit. It was definitely worth skipping a day of the challenge for.

This painting is an attempt to capture the deep reds of the Moulin Rouge sunflowers in my garden. I actually started this painting on Sunday in an effort to work ahead a little bit (that would have covered yesterday's trip to the gallery), but it didn't cooperate.  I painted an abstract pattern and started adding the sunflower over it.  I didn't like what I had so I took the squeegee to it and wiped it out.  At that point, I had a great big orange-red smear down the center of the sheet of paper.  I left it overnight and went back to it Monday morning before heading to the gallery. As I was working I realized what I wanted to do with this piece - the center of the flower is what identifies it as a sunflower; the rest can be abstract. This morning I was ready to tackle that realization.  The result is a fairly abstract flower with a well-defined center.  I expect to keep working on this concept as the month progresses.

To purchase this painting, please click here. You will be transported to my web site which is set up to handle electronic sales.  Please note that the reds are a little darker and more orange in the original; the camera has a hard time handling some colors.