A late summer day filled with sunshine, a field of flowers with tall clumps of sunflowers dotted here and there like scarecrows: it seemed like a Van Gogh kind of day.
Recently I was fortunate to see the Van Gogh: Up Close exhibition at the National Gallery in Ottawa, Canada, just before it ended its run. Over 230,000 people visited the show this summer in the capital, making it the most popular special exhibit in many years.
No matter how many times you have seen reproductions of works by famous artists, there is nothing like actually standing in front of the real thing. It’s hard to describe the thrill I felt in experiencing some of the paintings.
You can almost feel the light and atmosphere in the scenes. Even in viewing photographs of his work, you are struck by Van Gogh’s bold colours and brushstrokes, and the strong designs. Up close, you can see the thickness of the paint, how the colours seem to glow and shimmer, and of course the actual size of the works.
According to one essay in the exhibition catalogue, Vincent Van Gogh wanted to give meaning to colour, light and forms and to suggest the feelings his subject gave him.
He wrote to his brother that “I’d like to paint in such a way that if it comes to it, everyone who has eyes could understand it.” The enduring and widespread popularity of his work shows how much he succeeded.
One of the things Van Gogh did was to use close ups of flowers to explore new colours and techniques. Sunflowers were one of his favourite subjects.
This painting is my first attempt at using a new (to me) surface called claybord (TM). The paint didn’t react as I expected, but using directional brushstrokes like Van Gogh’s helped me to finish the work.
Consider this my fan letter to Vincent Van Gogh.
Carol Hughes art 
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