Happiness is a field of sunflowers

Tangerini's sunflowers /24x30 oil

Tangerini's farm in Millis, MA is not just an amazing farm with great owners and produce, but a mecca for artists. Artists are welcome to come and paint on the property and each week offers new subject matter as the fields come to life with flowers and fruits and vegetables. The flowering trees and bushes are set against the architecture of an old New England farm. The ice cream stand is buzzing with families and the picnic area is alive with people enjoying the food offered at their take out window. One of my favorite themes is sunflowers. To me they are a symbol of happiness and hope. They turn their faces to the sun creating  a spectacular display of color against the clear summer skies and a majestic pattern of shapes against evening sunsets.
My stars in this piece are the two sunflowers that rose above the others with the light playing off of their radiating petals. I kept the sky a clear blue to push the flowers out to the viewer. To keep the focus on the two stars, I left the jumble of leaves and other flowers soft and suggestive, hoping to create the sense of the crowded field. The perspective of the viewer is below the subject to emphasize the height of the flowers and sensation of being there among them.