New Sunflowers

I didn't have much luck with sunflowers this season but am looking forward to seeing what I can make of them anyway.

I'll start with a few photos:

This was the best of the flowers and I like the idea of working on it from this angle this year.

Here are 2 shots of the same flower taken so I can get the best idea of how to draw and paint the details of the leaves and stems.

Well, this is all there is to work with this year so it will be a challenge. I'll continue to add to this post and I get started on the drawings and paintings so be sure to check back here from time to time. 

Here are a couple of pen and ink drawings on envelopes.

Here are a couple drawings I was working on for cards.

Of course I moved on to a scrapbook page as well.

After that I went back to my paints and did another post for my ramp railings.

It was nice to be working from live flowers again.

I didn't have many sunflowers this year but you've got to admit I made the most of them.

Goldfinches on the Sunflowers

Sunflowers Outside My Window

In an urban garden you take or make your inspiration where you find it. We never planted these sunflowers,they were just the result of mishaps with the bird feeders and a hole in the seed bag.
They bloom where they landed without plan or effort.

They're just outside my living room window. The first thing I see each morning and the last thing I see each night.

I had invested quite a lot of money in seed for 3 or 4 different varieties of sunflowers in different locations around the yard and garden but these simple surprises put them all to shame.

Yes, they inspire me and will continue to appear in drawings and paintings throughout the season.

 It especially amuses me the way the horse that's a school logo on the playground across the street appears to be running through my magic garden.

 I shot this photo just outside my front door to give you a closer view.

Sunflowers and Lilies

Yellow Garden , Lily and Sunflower

The last of the sunflowers

As these began to droop they started to block the sidewalk so I pulled them and cut some of the better ones into a vase to be used for a few last drawings and paintings.

These sunflowers in the front border were the last to be planted so they're the smallest of all. I find it amazing that one bag of  one type of seed came up so many different ways all over the yard and garden this year.

Urban Sunflowers, Street View

These are along the side of my driveway.

This is just a few feet from the street.