I’ve been in a sunflower state of mind lately. Maybe it began when my husband and I saw a few sunflowers and talked about growing some in our garden — such as it is — next year.
Sunflowers are fun, filled with golden yellow color, and always swaying in some breeze, dancing in the wind, and inviting good feelings. Or maybe not. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I always see sunflowers as bright, cheerful friends.
Is it any wonder that so many artists have painted sunflowers?
Van Gogh painted sunflowers — twelve canvases, in fact — as so did Monet. Paul Gaugin, Gustav Klimt, and Diego Rivera painted them, too. Many different artists have created paintings of these glorious, sunny flowers, including fellow art-blogger, Dawn Lomako. Check out her gorgeous sunflower paintings at her website: Brush of Dawn.
You might also enjoy this link: Sunflowers — Other Artists
Yesterday while out shopping with my sister in St. Joseph, I espied a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers. They’re not real, but they’re still lovely. I couldn’t wait to buy them, get them home, put them in a vase, and use them as part of my summer-turning-to-autumn décor.
And then when I browsed through my new book on gourd crafts — it arrived yesterday — I came across this fun little garden sunflower project:
I think it will be a fun project, and, hopefully, not too difficult for a first time gourd crafter.
Another thing I’d like to do is use my new bouquet of sunflowers as part of a still life. And, there’s also a sunflower farm within driving distance. I’d love to visit!
Yes, I love sunflowers, and I’m definitely in a sunflower state of mind!
Artistcoveries 
Great! My first commission was a field of sunflowers 🌻. Special memories are held of sunflowers in my journey into painting. Enjoy yours!
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I have the sunflowers I bought in a vase now, and they are gorgeous! They are so perfect for the season… a bit summery, but a bit autumnal, too. I definitely want to sketch them in graphite, and then maybe I’ll try painting them too. I’ve never really done any still life painting before… so, something new for me to try.
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Graphite is a BIG favourite of mine. I always use a SOLUABLE Graphite stick because after drawing you can ‘drag’ it around with anything wet, and this can darken and intensify the Graphite, or smear it around to create tonal areas. I have used a water brush; but also have used my fingers in a cappuccino to add colour and emphasis to a drawing of a café. Also used Mediterranean Sea water on a recent yacht sketch, and of course you can load a brush with watercolour and see how you can make it interact with the Graphite. Have fun!
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Oh, this sounds like so much fun! And so creative! I love the idea of using the Mediterranean Sea water for a yacht sketch. I have never worked with water soluble graphite. I did play around a little with powdered graphite and loved it! As my skills improve, I’ll definitely try lots of new things, and I really appreciate all the ideas and suggestions you’ve shared. Thank you so much! I really do enjoy working with graphite. It’s amazing what can be done with a simple pencil.
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https://photos.app.goo.gl/VwuYzac7tHnC64z78
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