Sunshine On My Shoulder

"This painting was inspired by sunflowers which germinated after the bird seed dropped from the feeder to the ground below. I had the square frame with green accents so I actually painted these flowers for the frame. To add drama, the painting hangs on the diagonal, making an eye-catching statement.

I wanted the dark background to make the flowers stand out boldly, and I actually painted that first, keeping the area where I pencilled in the flower shapes as bright unpainted white canvas. Even with the opacity of acrylic paints, it's hard to paint bright, light colors on top of a dark background. This is especially true for me, since I use fluid acrylic paints and I don't apply them heavily.

The diagonal orientation makes this an eye-catching piece on any wall."