Sunflower Study #1

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

In preparation for my submission to the 4th Annual Wine Box Art Show, I decided to work on some preliminary studies.  I wanted my wine box to be inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s sunflower paintings, so I knew I had to take a closer look at his work and try my hand at recreating his masterpieces.  You know, just whip up a couple of sunflower paintings in the style of the great Van Gogh… no problem!

Hopefully you can feel the sarcasm oozing from my last statement.  I knew what I was up against, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway.  Plus, I have been on a sort of personal journey this year and I have found that the effects of that journey have been bleeding into my artwork.  With all that in mind, following after Van Gogh seemed like a no-brainer and my artistic adventure began.

I learned SO MUCH in the process of trying to replicate a Van Gogh.  We all know he laid the paint on thick, but just how thick was eye-opening.  Needless to say, I went through a lot of paint!  I also noticed how he often blended his paints while still wet on the canvas and how he utilized different types of brushstrokes to create different textures.

For this post, I am including my first sunflower study along with its inspiration.

Van Gogh: “Still Life Vase w/ 12 Sunflowers,” Arles, August 1888, currently in Munich.

Study: “Sunflower Study #1 (after Van Gogh),” acrylic on linen, 12″ x 9″

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.