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11/17/2006

Sunflowers

"For Clytie", 14"x18", oil

Another broken arm painting. I like some of the looseness of the brushstrokes and yet it still feels too tightly rendered. I plan to work on this issue in full force over the coming year.

I was inspired to paint sunflowers after seeing them displayed at a store selling Italian antiques. Sunflowers have long been a popular subject for painters. It's understandable. The way their contrasting yellow petals look against a dark brown center is very striking. My interest in them lies not only in their attractive qualities, but also in their historical significance.

The Sunflower has been depicted throughout history in Europe and South America for thousands of years. The symbol the Incas used for their god was a sunflower. The Romans carved sunflowers on buildings and the Greeks told the story of Clytie, a woman who turned into a sunflower after falling in love with Apollo. In 17th Century Europe, the Sunflower represented the vanity of the royal court and by the 19th Century, Van Gogh painted sunflowers to reflect the warmth he felt in the south of France. Although the symbolic meaning of the sunflower has evolved throughout history, the power of it's image endures. I find them quite inspiring.

11/05/2006

I'm BACK!



The cast has come off! Now it's physical therapy twice a week. Because of the injury, I don't have full range of motion in my wrist. That is not necessarily a bad thing. While I had my cast on, I discovered that full range of motion is not completely necessary for painting. In fact, the less motion I had, the more interesting my paintings became. I did this quick two hour study of some pomegranates while in the cast. It's not the best and yet I like the spontaneous feel of the brushstrokes.

Although I did several quick paintings both with my cast and with my left hand, the majority of my free time was spent planning out my studio, which is in need of a major overhaul. Hopefully by the end of this year the overhaul will be complete so I can start 2007 with a fresh space that functions in the way that I need it to. I can't wait!

I finished a new painting sans-cast this week. I will post it soon, probably this week - IF work allows...

Thanks for all the nice comments from friends and family about my mishap!

Namaste