Sunflower Array
‍24X12
Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

The only flower liking the 90-degree heat in my garden today is the sunflower! This year I only planted two large pots, so I’m enjoying these four-foot-tall beauties while they last. I painted Sunflower Array on a wide-format canvas; I love the feeling of wide and narrow paintings. They look great over doorways or propped on bookshelves behind a few knickknacks.

The Power of a White Canvas

There is an emotional appeal to a colorful painting, and one way I try to really emphasize the hue to its brightest degree is to paint on a white canvas. Years ago, I used to “gray down” my canvas before painting, using raw umber or other such combinations. But I know now that transparent color is most beautiful on a white surface.

Stained Glass in Paint Form

The transparent colors I love to use are like pieces of stained glass. When layered, they stay clean and retain their sparkle. The transparent color is the color that draws the eye from across the room in a painting. And the best way to use a transparent is to remember: don’t smother it! Leave pieces peeking around your focal areas.

Permission to Paint What You Love

And for goodness’ sake, if you want to paint a purple sky because it makes you feel happy, then paint a purple sky. (I heard a rumor the Purple Sky Police are on vacation this week, so your chances of getting a citation are slim to none.) To me, painting is about color, and color is about emotion. Paint what makes you happy! It’s the best way to ensure you’ll keep picking up that brush again and again.

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