Gratitude

Inspired by a backyard in rural Kentucky shared with me by one of my customers, this painting became more than a landscape-it became a reflection on gratitude, memory, and healing. According to Van Gogh, sunflowers symbolize gratitude and the healing of the soul, and I carried that idea throughout the process of creating this work. I painted the piece entirely with my fingers, allowing direct contact with canvas to guide the movement of colors and texture. The blending of the sky, the layered petals, and the tactile process itself became deeply personal and meditative. Touch was an essential part of the painting-feeling the surface, shaping the flowers by hand, and creating texture through instinct rather than precision. This work is rooted in appreciation: for nature, for human connection, and for places that unexpectedly stay with us. The warmth of the sunflowers and open sky reflect a sense of peace, healing, and emotional presence that can still exist within ordinary moments. Acrylic, finger painting enhanced with modeling paste for texture.