Rocky Mountain Sunflowers by Jan Bushart

Sunflowers.It is hard to imagine anything negative or depressing about sunflowers, even in these troubled times.Jan Bushart was driving through Colorado farmland one day, about 50 miles north of Denver.And suddenly there they were, in a river of gold and brown, lighting the plain like miniature suns, almost as far as the cold, blue Rockies.She was taken with the sight and pulled her car over for a better look.Out came paints and brushes, and an 8 10 sketch in oil was done before the light died.Days later, Rocky Mountain Sunflowers grew, full-sized on canvas, assisted by a few photographs of the scene to add detail.Sunflowers are 10 ft tall by late summer, valued for their oil and edible seeds as well as the beauty of their blooms.They are native to Arizona, California, and Nevada and most of Mexico but now occur all over the western states, thriving in fertile soil and long, bright summers.Native Americans cultivated them for thousands of years before seeds were taken to Europe by the Spanish early in the 16th century.They proliferated to grow around the world and captivate artists from van Dyck to van Gogh.Bushart has long admired sunflowers and considers them to be symbols of joy and loyalty because as young plants they literally follow the sun, orienting themselves to its location.This ends with maturation as positioning for pollination becomes primary.The region in and around Denver has fields of sunflowers, especially near the airport, as if to welcome visitors and returning locals to this city on the edge of the High Plains where the mountains begin.Bushart's first painting, at 7 years of age, depicted a sunflower grown by her father, so they retain a special meaning for her.She grew up in southern California in a family of musicians and artists and was never deflected from pursuing art as a career.Although her mother did say "take a typing class, you can always be a secretary if it [art] doesn't work out."Well, it did work out.She attended the State University of California in Chico and obtained a degree in Fine Arts.