Sunflowers on a Red Sky


















3' x 3' Oil on canvas. This painting has been hanging around in my studio for a while. It started out as a fairly typical representation of a field of sunflowers...blue sky, golden petals, green leaves and it left me uninspired. So I covered the entire piece in a generous red glaze and painted into it. Much more fun to paint and it helped me bust through that "stuck" feeling. I have been working on a sunflower commission that I felt I was getting too "stiff" about and I think this was a good diversion to help me stay loose and expressive. It's funny how you tend to paint better when you let go of the "preciousness" of the piece.