There is a subtleness that comes with August. It’s still Summer but nearing Autumn. Many schools go back into session when August comes along. The summer flowers show their final glories.
One of my favorite flowers is the sunflower. It’s a very versatile flower. They are gorgeous flowers with their large heads, yellow petals, and dark gray kernels at the center. They feed birds, provide seeds and healthful cooking oils for people, and they build fun and imaginative sunflower houses.
Another favorite thing of mine to do is to paint. I would like to show you and your children how to easily paint a sunflower.
You can purchases a canvas and oil paints as I did, or you can purchase supplies such as Melissa and Doug’s Paint Kit and Easel. You can find them on the side panel of this webpage. However, any craft paint and paper will do.
I began by painting 4 straight lines in yellow so that it might look like a cross if joined in the middle. Then, on each side of the line, I made a wider brush stroke starting at a line from the top, widening as I approached the middle, and bringing it back to the line as I finished. Now you have four petals.
Then, I created four more petals, one between two of the previous petals, in the same manner as before.
For a third set of petals I painted a petal in between the second set of petals, just like the first two sets.
As a finishing touch, and to simulate the seeds that grow at the center of the seeds, I used a brand new pencil with a brand new pencil eraser on the end and “dotted” my seeds in the center. Make the center large because the bigger sunflowers have huge heads full of sunflower seeds. Painting in this manner is a style called “pontillism” where pictures are painted with dots of color.
Painting and sunflowers make me happy. It’s nice to find things that make us happy. Go and find some things that make you happy. Happy August!
Until next time-
Lorraine
