Sunshine in a Vase

Oil on canvas | Floral

A glorious, full-throated celebration of the sunflower, painted with impasto confidence that gives each bloom a sculptural, three-dimensional presence. Nine flowers fan outward from a cream-coloured vase set against a vivid cobalt blue that makes the yellows sing with almost audible intensity. The thick, buttery application of cadmium and chrome yellows, punctuated by dark umber centres and green stems, creates a surface of extraordinary tactile richness. The painting engages in open dialogue with Van Gogh’s celebrated series — the blue background, the jug, the radiating arrangement — but the handling is entirely contemporary, with a physical boldness and chromatic saturation that claim the subject afresh. The green horizontal band at the base provides a cool, stabilising counterpoint to the exuberant warmth above. Joyful, generous, and alive.