The inspiration for this painting was my garden sunflowers. Originally, I set up a still life with various elements: a transparent green vase with paint brushes, a black ceramic pot, two tall bottles, a small ink pot and a purple iris. The background is a black and white window-pane design which is a great pattern behind the items. These objects are sitting on a table with an aqua-citron-dark blue stripe pattern.

This was a good set-up, but I felt the iris did not fit in — it was too tall. I used my photographs to combine the sunflowers in the taller vase with the blue bottle and two smaller pots. Usually I edit and move the objects around to create a pleasing design before I start painting. Sketching the basic design for placement, I begin with my center of interest — the sunflowers — and weave the shapes together. My main goal is a strong design, saturated colors and a good value pattern, leading the eye around the composition. Using a limited palette of blues unifies the design.