A wild sunflower blooms brightly against a tangle of gray, weathered branches, its golden petals open wide around a dark, seed-filled center. A second bloom peeks in at the lower edge, and the deep green surroundings fall softly into shadow.
This piece was painted by hand on a digital tablet, with layers of color brushed over the original photograph, much like the tradition of hand-coloring black-and-white prints. The result carries both the truth of the moment and the touch of the artist's brush, and it holds a simple, hopeful message: even among bare branches and difficult ground, the flower finds its way to the light.
