Golden Sun Flowers

 

I never get tired of painting sun flowers.  There is something about them that keeps me coming back.  Perhaps it is that they have been the subject of so many great artists before me.  I totally "get" their attraction to the subject, great shapes, great colors, great meaning to people.  Here is my latest sun flower painting entitled Golden Sun Flowers 24x18 oil.

 

 

Progression of a Still-life

 

 

Here is a new 20x16 oil painting still-life, so new it is untitled.  I attempted to shoot photos of the painting at different points of completion.  It offers a look at how I work.  I generally map in the design.  Then I add my middle tones, then my darks and then my lights.  I like the idea of a progression to show how I work.  Perhaps in the future I will attempt this with a better camera or perhaps a time lapse, but for now this will have to due.

Working Title: "Cut Flowers and Oranges"

 

I always have such trouble coming up with the titles of my paintings.  I always want the painting to stand alone and not need a title to complete it.  So often with still-life the name will be the objects that are in the painting.  In this case I'm going with "Cut Flowers and Oranges" but there is a voice in my head that I may have used that title in the past.  Perhaps that is the stumbling block with representational art in general, why must we be literal when after all we are not painting things we are painting the way the "things" feel or how the things make us feel.  Perhaps I should really call this one "Happy to be Alive Painting Flowers Today".

Sun Flowers and Oranges

 

Some subjects practically paint themselves and the subject is so commonly beloved and related to that you can set yourself free of the details.  It is very fun to cut loose and a still life such as this.  Please let me know what you think of this 20x16 oil.