Sunflowers in Three Perspectives

After facing the setback of being laid off from two jobs, I found solace in teaching middle school art, despite the lengthy commute that took me over an hour outside the city. During one morning journey, I serendipitously came across a striking display of sunflowers at a gas station. Inspired by their beauty, I decided to incorporate them as models for an upcoming still life art project with my students.

In this image, my intention was to visually portray the captivating series of transformations that sunflowers undergo over the course of a single day. I utilized an original posterboard draft, where I rapidly sketched the same sunflowers from three different perspectives, demonstrating to my students how to effectively stage, light, and sketch their chosen subjects. I employed charcoal to create intricate outlines, while oil pastels were used to infuse vibrant colors into the artwork. Through this piece, I aimed to inspire my students and guide them through the process of capturing the evolving essence and beauty of their own still life subjects.