Artist Statement: The sunflower curls in on itself, using its last energy not to stand tall, but simply to exist. Its beauty shifts from bold color to quiet form. Watching it change, I’m reminded that aging is not a loss—it’s another stage of becoming. There is still value, still presence, still beauty in every phase. Learning from the sunflower, I too discover the beauty in aging.

Materials & Techniques: Each textile begins with original photography, developed through hand-painted digital layers in Photoshop and Corel Painter, no AI. Printed on cotton and wool batting, aligned with a light table, and free-form quilted with a long-arm machine. Layers are cut with blades and brushes, finished with fabric paint, merging photography, fiber, stitch.

Dimensions: 33 x 33 x 0

Photographer: Thomas Owen