Sunflowers and Hand-Thrown Pot 12" x 9"
When I started my little endeavor to paint more Alla Prima, I decided to focus on what's around me at the time. This little 12" x 9" painting of sunflowers is a great example.
Since starting "My Daily Sketching" (more on that later) it has been autumn and winter. So I have focused on a lot of vegetables and root crop from the local farmers market and ceramic items around my house. I haven't been thinking flowers at all. But, when I saw these sunflowers at a local grocery store I knew I needed to paint them.
Once more, textures take a front seat with this sketch. I really wanted something else in the painting that would help offset the flowers, so I grabbed this wonderful pot off my bookshelf. I emphasized the different surfaces, in part, by how I applied the paint. Whereas the flowers are painted with a lot of impasto, I kept the paint on the pot fairly thin and transparent, except for the highlights of course.
Remember, while you're painting to think about how you're applying the paint and compare that to the objects you are painting. Think about the surface qualities..and squint!
BTW, The pot is made by my good friend Virgil Tyler Oertle. You can see more of his work here Facebook.
