Sunflowers in Three Perspectives

After facing the setback of being laid off from two jobs in a row, 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  came across a striking display of sunflowers at a gas station. Inspired by their beauty, I decided to buy them and incorporate them as models for an upcoming still life art project I was starting with my students.

In this piece, I wanted to visually capture the fascinating transformations that sunflowers undergo throughout a single day. I started with an original posterboard draft, where I quickly sketched the same sunflowers from three different perspectives to demonstrate to my students how to effectively stage, light, and sketch their subjects. Using charcoal, I created detailed outlines, and added vibrant colors with oil pastels. This artwork was designed to inspire my students and guide them in capturing the evolving essence and beauty of their own still life subjects.