“Sunflowers and Monarch Butterfly”
Gogh, Vincent van (b. March 30, 1853, Zundert, Neth.--d. July 29,
1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris), generally considered the
greatest Dutch painter and draughtsman after Rembrandt. With
Cézanne and Gauguin the greatest of Post-Impressionist artists. He
powerfully influenced the current of Expressionism in modern art.
His work, all of it produced during a period of only 10 years,
hauntingly conveys through its striking colour, coarse brushwork,
and contoured forms the anguish of a mental illness that eventually
resulted in suicide. Among his masterpieces are numerous
self-portraits and the well-known The Starry Night (1889).
Vincent van Gogh was famous for his missing ear and his colourful
paintings of rural life. I would never compare my work to that of
van Gogh, but we both had a love of sunflowers and the rural
landscape.
I tried for a van Gogh feel to the sunflowers but did the butterfly
in great detail for a contrast . . . my style versus van Gogh’s.
I was lucky enough a number of years ago to see the original
“Starry Night” at the ROM in Toronto. It was a show of both
Toulouse Lautrec and Vincent van Gogh. I went because it was a once
in a life time opportunity and I came home a fan of both artists’
genius.
I stood mesmerized by the twinkling stars. At that time artists had
to grind their own pigments and blend their own paints. How did
Vincent achieve those vibrant luminous colours? His madness in
later years came from exposure to toxins in those homemade paints
something I don’t need to worry about with all the new restrictions
and regulations for the production of art supplies. That doesn’t
mean I’ll be exempt from madness . . . just that I won’t be able to
blame it on the paint.
Hope you appreciate my sunflowers and the butterfly. I love all
things bright and beautiful. What a sight to see a large field of
sunflowers or giant Russians leaning against the side of a
weathered barn.
Keep you eye out for more sunflower paintings.
Jenny