Sunflowers, the sunny flowers
Sun plus flowers equals sunflowers. It is also an excellent painting subject when it gets darker in October and November. We switched from bright fall colors to rainy and snowy start of November. Warmth of sunflower color fills up the entire studio. Gentle, soft flow of light yellow and burnt sienna tones among the strong earthy greens and burnt umber is a very attractive color combination. I am a good example of how artist’s taste and feel for the subject changes over time during a few decades. I was painting a similar image years ago, and my color choices were completely different then.
My painting style
Specifics of my painting style include spontaneous and intuitive use of color and improvisation on the spot. I don’t use masking fluid much, especially, for paintings which are done as a demo for an art class. There’s simply no time for that. Ability to improvise helps with demonstration. Many unexpected and interesting things can happen painting intuitively! Since I have been painting and teaching for many years, I can act and react very promptly, including change of subject if necessary. I love freedom in my own art. I do teach others to treat their painting like that, too. This particular sunflower painting is 20 x 16 in or 51 x 41 cm.
Red barn in fall
Subject of the following painting is a red country barn which I also painted in acrylic. My watercolor painting is larger than the acrylic one. Its size is 18 x 14 in (46 x 36 cm). Size means a lot in live presentation, but unfortunately not online. This painting relies on combination of saturated fall colors, tree shape and barn. Barn is placed strategically to increase the perspective and feeling of depth. I am trying to take pictures of my art with background in order size of paintings would be more visible. However, it’s not always possible. I love bold colors as much as simple grey and saturated brown tones. This particular image shines because of colors and diagonal use of composition elements.
Barn and golden maple tree
This is a barn which was painted a while ago. I love painting buildings, because of organized and completed lines and perspective. My mom had saved some drawings which were done when I was 12 and 13. That’s like half a century ago. These were my drawings of buildings and plants which I had done looking at the actual subject. We didn’t have internet or cameras then. I always loved drawing what’s around me. This painting is also quite big, it shows a country barn and side building as I saw them. Oranges and reds are also super energizing colors. The same goes for painting: vivid colors help.
I hope you love my sunflowers and other paintings! It was great pleasure to paint the recent sunflowers, and this painting is the newest addition to my watercolor collection also.
Enjoy, be inspired and paint! I do appreciate visitors to my sale pages, here is Original watercolors page, it gets updated quite frequently:
Original watercolor paintings for sale
I was also chosen to be a Spotlight Artist in Fine Art America’s traditional still life group with the pumpkin still life which I published before. That is nice!
All prints from Fine Art America:
Copyright notice: Copyright of displayed paintings, drawings, images of work in progress and images of finished paintings belong to artist Inese Poga. Please, respect my copyright. The use of my images is prohibited if I have not issued a written permission. That includes no pinning on Pinterest.
Beautiful!!
Thanks!
Nice paintings Inese and your ideas about how to paint, those you just need to follow.
Long time ago, someone suggested me to create more simple jewelry, as those would sell better, but no, I don’t create just to sell, I appreciate to create, what I like.
Enjoy a good weekend 🙂
Thanks, Irene! Exactly. I cannot at all paint what I do not want or like , or feel excited about.
That is why I cannot do lots of similar paintings, I have done two or 3 of similar ones, and I get so tired of that subject that I cannot even thing about painting more.
I totally get with what you mean how you cannot always take the advice to suit market, not you. The same here.
While we all need money for at least to create more things, the most beautiful art has no price. It is something that is done once and it’s impossibly to copy either watercolor or acrylic exactly the same way. Painting is also energy. Unfortunately art prints don’t have it, only the original. I have to sell some paintings because there are too many and I simply need space, but there are some which will never be for sale.
You, too, have a great weekend!
Thank you Inese and I do so much get, what you mean here.
Most creative people are like that. I know only some artists who work for the market and not to develop themselves.
Beautiful, as always, Inese.
Thanks! I appreciate.
Comment works just fine and it’s linked back to your site. So, it’s only when you like somebody’s post probably when the like is not linked back to your blog.
Hi Inese! It was so nice to see a post from you show up in my email! And I just love, love, love, your sunflowers!! I finally did start a painting…and believe it or not it is of sunflowers!! I have not finished it…painting I find is something that I have to really FEEL like doing (most things are this way!)
I hope you are well. Wishing you all good things <3
Thanks, Lorrie! Very nice to hear from you, too!
Somewhere, somehow along the way, I lost touch with your website and blog. It’s been a while. My website works weirdly in regard to liking comments, I have to use another page for that. Therefore, when I get my courage together, I just swipe through hundreds of likes, etc. and like all of them. I am sorry for big numbers of these.
Anyway, it is very nice to hear from you and find out that you are painting, and painting sunflowers! My students at least once a year, and most often in the fall, definitely insist on painting sunflowers.
This artwork is from some years ago. I just finished it now since I did the first part of a new sunflower painting which will be different, it’s not ready yet.
Our perception and abilities change a lot over time. That is why finishing up previous artworks is not easy. I have moved ahead, but the art from years ago is the moment in time where I was back then.
I hope to check out your blog some time soon, too.
I have another blog also if you remember or maybe I didn’t have the lifeschool blog those times, hard to say.
Have a wonderful Sunday night and I hope to exchange some thoughts with you in the future again!
Experimental rocks and stream is enchanting! So unique. I could look at this for a long time, love it! Was this planed or one of your spontaneous creations?
Thanks Liza!
I usually need timing for anything I teach, therefore, I have to do it first and see whether it is possible and how long it takes. No planning, because it truly was to experiment with packaging tape and see how long it takes for salt to be dry enough to be removed.
I give usually at least 3 classes a week, and I do some tests for many classes. I rarely plan anything. I am simply very good at drawing and I see painting as drawing with the brush.
Thanks for your nice comment!