30 in 30, #13 – End of the Season

End of the Season, 6"x6",  oil on panel

“The sunflower is mine, in a way.”

― Vincent van Gogh

This sunflower was at Earthbound Organic Farm in Carmel Valley, California last November. It was pretty bedraggled, but caught my attention. Sunflowers are fun to paint; their colors and sheer size demand our attention. Hasn't every oil painter painted a sunflower at least once?

I painted this on a black-gessoed panel. I enjoy using a black panel now and then — it really makes me pay attention. The shadows were fun to paint on this; I'm especially pleased with the petals in shadow at the bottom.

I want to give a shout-out to Karen at K. Rike Gallery. She and her husband make these wonderful panel holders that were designed by Carol and David Marine. I had a problem with mine, and she made it good immediately. Fabulous customer service, and a wonderful product as well.
 

oil sketch

put the lights in first when painting on black;
you can see the leaf that I wiped out later