Portrait of a Sunflower by Jeff Watts

Photo © Jeff Watts

"Portrait of a Sunflower" by Jeff Watts . 8x8" (20x20cm). Oil on canvas.

From the Artist: At first I didn't understand the "challenge" of this month's project. The two previous months (self-portraits and knife painting) were things I'd never done or even thought of doing. But flowers and still lifes I've painted before.

Well you lit a fire under me. This is my seventh flower painting (and I'm not done yet), some successful, some not. Each time I set my own challenges. For one painting, I used only a number seven brush.

This painting was done alla prima and I also limited my self to one hour including set up. This was great fun! Knowing the clock was ticking, I attacked the canvas with a lot of paint and tried to be deliberate with my strokes. I'm constantly struggling with "loosing up" so, personally this was a good exercise for me.

Overall I'm pleased with this painting. I think the sunflower and a square canvas fit together nicely. I wanted the grandness of the sunflower to fill the canvas.

From the Painting Guide: You may be surprised how many people have never painted from a real flower before though they have painted from photos of flowers. Somehow the thought of painting from life is intimidating, whereas a photo is perceived as easier. I personally think just the opposite is true.

I think you've very good reason to be pleased with this painting, it's a fabulous portrait of a sunflower, a painting capturing the grandeur and glorious color of the species. Admittedly, I'm biased because I adore sunflowers (can one be a fan of Van Gogh and not, I wonder?).

Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Color and Tone: Just look at the range of yellows to oranges in the petals of the sunflower. how they give depth and form. At how they lean towards green, creating a subtle overall unity to the composition by linking visually with the green stem and leaves.

Composition: Look at the photo of the still-life setup and the final painting, at how Jeff has chosen a composition that crop close into the flower. Notice how there's a little more background color on the left-hand side and bottom left corner, avoiding a symmetrical composition.