Looking to the Sun

[snoball]

Sunflower painted on a black canvas. There is a bit of color over the black but it doesn't show much in the photo.

 

[Artyczar]

I already commented on this where you cross-posted it, but again. I love it!

 

[snoball]

And again, thank you!

 

[moscatel]

Sno, it´s beautiful. Is it oils? What size approx.? Did you have a reference photo for it? Flowers are so challenging to paint but you did well with this sun flower.
I´m asking and have interest because this week I started one flower painting in the garden as a plein air but will finish it from ref.photos. I don´t paint flowers often but I admire flower paintings from others.

 

[Artyczar]

I love painting flowers and plants, although mine are cartoony. I like doing them that way though. I really appreciate and love realism though.

 

[snoball]

Sno, it´s beautiful. Is it oils? What size approx.? Did you have a reference photo for it? Flowers are so challenging to paint but you did well with this sun flower.
I´m asking and have interest because this week I started one flower painting in the garden as a plein air but will finish it from ref.photos. I don´t paint flowers often but I admire flower paintings from others.

Thank you moscatel. Yes, it is oils and I think the size is 12"X16", not sure because I don't have it right here to look at. I did have a reference photo, I'll post it below.
Many times I do that, I may start a painting from imagination and then look up photos to see if I am getting form and details correct.

 

[snoball]

I love painting flowers and plants, although mine are cartoony. I like doing them that way though. I really appreciate and love realism though.

I think flowers are fun to paint in any style Arty. Cartoony has its place too.

 

[stlukesguild]

I started painting flowers and plants in the halos around the girls in my paintings... I'd often look up plants that had a symbolic meaning for the theme I was working on. One of my favorite contemporary painters is Robert Kushner. In his twenties he traveled throughout the MIddle-East with a well-known art historian. He became enthralled with the fact that patterns were revered in the East no less than figurative art in the West. He soon started adding flowers because he felt they would be a challenge to paint without becoming cliche or pretty-pretty. I ended up loving to paint flowers as well. I enjoy the natural curvilinear forms as a contrast to the patterns in my paintings.

Robert Kushner:

 

[stlukesguild]

Many times I do that, I may start a painting from imagination and then look up photos to see if I am getting form and details correct.

I often start with a reference image... then edit it repeatedly often merging multiple references... then after the painting moves along the references become less and less important and I'm responding more and more to the painting itself. Still, there are times I need help with specific details... hands and feet... the structure of plants... and I'll use myself or my wife for anatomical details and actual plants or photos for plants. I'm going to use lilies in my current work (at least I think I am... I never know the way my paintings evolve ) and I have some in the back yard along the fence that I'll be studying, drawing, and photographing.

I'll have to do sunflowers one day myself. The only problem is the shadow of Van Gogh.

 

[snoball]

Don't worry about Van Gogh David, he won't mind a bit.

 

[stlukesguild]

Wouldn't want him to get all worked up and cut off another earlobe.

 

[Bongo]

This is fabulous. You've managed to somehow infuse the sunflower with "attitude". Flowers are about sun and light so there is an instant visual visceral dichotomy when seen against black that puts an edge.

 

[snoball]

Thanks Bongo.

 

[Artyczar]

Since we're hijacking Sno's sunflowers , I like doing flowers in a different sort of style...

Or simpler like this one:

 

[snoball]

The flowers add a lot to your works Arty.

 

[Trier]

Beautiful,Sno.

It has a presence of being very much 'alive' and not bashful about it.

The other pictures on this thread are a wonderful accompaniment.

 

[snoball]

Thank you Trier.

 

[Artyczar]

Thanks Sno.

 

[joe1It]

I risk being repetitive but I find it fabulous.
wonderful painting.
it is a work so alive, full of life, it envelops you,
masterpiece as these make me think

that I can't call them : nature morta
è una natura viva,
Snoball, give life to your works, they go to another dimension, if you paint animals I always expect them to move, as for the sculptures of Moschetto (which if there was no screen I think they would catch me) I mention this or the graphite cats of Ken as an example to talk to you about the spark of life you put into your work. (dai vita ai soggetti che dipingi o disegni , una quarta o quinta dimensione )
regardless of the subject or media you use.
you have published the photo of the flower, it is a beautiful photo but the painting is incredible, so beautiful, so alive.

I also liked the floral examples of Artyczar and Stlukesguild,
it has a nice effect to see them all together.

 

[snoball]

My goodness Joe, you make me blush. Thank you!