If I were a flower, I'd be a sunflower. Preferably, a giant sunflower, mainly because I'm a short little human who has always envied the height of others. Maximillians, with their generous array of golden flowers lined up and down short-human-high stalks are my favorites.
But, any sunflower works for me. And for our parrot, Greystoke, who loves to pluck the seeds. He can make confetti from a mammoth sunflower head.
When face to face with a sunflower, it's hard not to smile. In a dramatic display of phototropism, the big yellow flower head seeks the nearest star, constantly turning to face the light. What a wonderful way to spend the day. No wonder sunflowers, with their ever-positive quest for sunlight, signify hope. Clearly, turning toward light is preferable to drooping in darkness. What a simple lesson from a complex flower.
I find myself painting sunflowers into landscapes to add a touch of joie de vivre. Sometimes this is a subtle addition, one of those small surprises you discover when you return to a painting. (Oh, gosh! Is that a sunflower hiding there in the grass?!)
Other times, I plant them more prominently and let them show off a bit. About once a year, I find myself doing a sunflower portrait, like this.
Here comes the sun! Bask in it, turn toward it and smile as the sun pours its own color into life on earth.