The morning was cool and crisp with a lovely wind blowing dust around on our hike. When we arrived home, the sunflowers in our garden decided to say hello. The wind started to dissipate and the clouds covered the sun. It was a wonderful morning in the desert. The kind where I could wear a hat and a hooded sweatshirt. My favorite kind of day. The flowers were so beautiful, our dog was so calm, my husband was making breakfast, and I chose to paint the flowers in our garden. The backyard is definitely a happy place. We had not had a backyard in several years since we lived closer to the city, and now we get to enjoy this marvelous place. Happiness can grow anywhere. Here are a few photographs from our tiny garden.
The flower had just bloomed a few days prior and I had been wanting to paint it. The sunflower had been pollinated and the center was larger than the petals. I modified the flower in the painting to scale it down to the 5”x7” size I was working with. I added colors of Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Scarlet Lake, Lemon Yellow, including oranges, browns, blues, and violet hues. I wanted the center to appear to have substance and almost look furry to the touch. The petals needed to be bright and shadowed in certain areas. I wanted the stem to look fuzzy and one leaf to be displayed prominently.
This was an amazing start to the day after a beautiful hike. I always love when the dog lays at my feet and is at peace in the presence of the painting process. I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday. Just wanted to share a great experience in the hopes it brings light to your day. Thank you for reading!
-Karen Hilliard