PixsMe

Sunshine, barbecues, beach days – summer’s supposed to be a blast, right? Don’t get me wrong, I love long evenings and lazy afternoons. But who knew the “dog days” came with a built-in furnace? This heat is next-level. Apparently, “full swing” means swinging from the air conditioner vent these days.

Maybe I romanticized those barefoot-on-the-beach scenes a little too much. Because let’s be honest, who wants melty toes in the sand when the sand itself feels like a frying pan? Swimming pools sound lovely, but right now, a lukewarm bath sounds downright refreshing.  Maybe the touch of summer’s charm will return, because right now, it feels more like summer’s a grumpy dragon guarding the outdoors with its fiery breath.

Yes, the relentless heat can turn summer into a sweaty slog. But let’s not forget the season’s quieter pleasures. Art, for one, offers a cool escape. A museum’s air-conditioned halls become a haven, filled with inspiration and beauty. Or channel that summer energy into creating your own art! Grab some pencils and capture the vibrant hues of a bouquet of flowers perched tall and strong in that antique vase sitting on the shelf.

Looking at the month of July, I “drew” inspiration from one of the most iconic flowers of summer – the Sunflower.  These radiant blooms, like little suns with faces of perky yellow petals, are summer’s ambassadors.  Standing in a sunflower field is an act of defiance against the heat.

Here, amidst a sea of golden heads turned towards the sky, sadness simply melts away. Sunflowers become nature’s gentle nudge, urging us to find happiness even when life throws scorching heat our way. They are a summer anthem in bloom, reminding us to soak up the season’s joy, no matter the temperature.

Georgia O’Keeffe’s iconic “Sunflower (A Sunflower from Maggie)” transcends its subject matter to become a captivating display of artistic technique. Yellow, notoriously difficult to render with depth, is brought to life through O’Keeffe’s masterful use of contrasting hues.

The vibrant yellow petals are set against a backdrop of orange-brown shadows, creating a sense of three-dimensionality. The artist further emphasizes depth by depicting the spiraling disk florets in the center, their edges defined by a hint of green that continues down the stalk.

This subtle shift in color adds weight and balance to the composition. The green hues in the stem aren’t uniform, instead transitioning from a lighter shade at the base to a darker, almost surreal, green at the tips. These minute details, along with the bold color choices, create a captivating sense of visual depth – a playful dance of dimension on the canvas.

Figure 1 – Sunflower (A Sunflower from Maggie) (1937) (Georgia O’Keeffe)

https://www.georgiaokeeffe.org/sunflower/

As we endure the dog days of summer, let’s not forget about nature’s own art imagery, and let the sunflower’s celestial brush of sunlight rekindle your summer spirit and remind you that joy persists, even under the harshest conditions.