sunflowers

Sunflowers in a vase made by Clelia Tondini.

Flowers can be a difficult subject to master, and especially so when the petals are monochromatic. I had an art book showcasing Manet’s still life paintings laying open by my palette during these sessions. Curiously, there’s even an art book dedicated solely to Manet’s last few flower pieces before his passing. And for painting flowers, more than one session is definitely necessary, as the shading of the petals is difficult to achieve while the paint is still wet.

Munch is undoubtedly my teacher’s favorite artist; he often references how Munch would “personify” inanimate things, giving them life and humanlike qualities. This process reminded me of that, when I was painting the abstract faces of the vase; they’re also warm-toned like the sunflowers.

I saw a post online a few days ago by a girl who had attached a picture of her eyes in the sunlight, and she wrote that they looked like they had a sunflower inside them (yellow splayed out in “petals” around the dark pupil). I feel that sunflowers are a great choice of plant to personify. The flowers turn with the sun, sparking ancient myths and stories. Van Gogh had noted that his Sunflower piece, now infamous, represented gratitude.

the setup!