Sunflower Art: Finding Perfect Pieces During Travel

 

By Anna Krejci

Collecting sunflower art is my hobby. I have accumulated many things over the years. From bowls, to boxes, to pillows, to plates, to ornaments – I display them at home. Sunflowers are a popular flower. I determined this from my experience of shopping and seeing so many craftspeople employ their image as embellishments on products. I associate sunflowers with some of my travels; I bought the following treasures while exploring. I doubt that you will find the exact same pieces as I did during my trips, even if you were to visit the same places, but I think these locales are likely to offer pleasant surprises. Part of the fun is finding things -whatever they may be – that serve a purpose and are of a motif you enjoy.

Pillow in Chardon, Ohio

During a summer trip, I shopped and ate at the establishments around Chardon Square. The square is recognizable because of its white gazebo; usually in warm weather flowering plants brim over their baskets that hang from the gazebo’s frame. Across the street, I entered a store and found a pillow with an impressionistic pillowcase showing a field of golden sunflowers; splashes of green, navy and pale yellow filled the background. It resembled a watercolor painting. I purchased the pillow, which became a much-needed pop of color on my sofa.


Notecards in Oberlin, Ohio

The Ben Franklin and MindFair Books store in Oberlin, Ohio met my stationery needs. Not only did I find reading material, but I found nice, compact notecards decorated with sunflower drawings. What a treat to find them! I can jot down a greeting to my acquaintances on paper representative of my favorite flower. I visited the city of Oberlin in Lorain County after seeing an art exhibit in town.



Doorknob Hanger in Canal Fulton, Ohio

The entrance to the study where I write is marked with a wooden doorknob hanger. It reads, “Welcome,” and is painted with a single sunflower with a sturdy, green stem. I found it at the Yankee Peddler Festival in Canal Fulton, Ohio. It adds interest to my space.


Dessert Plate in Ohio Yard Sale

Shopping at spring and summer yard sales brings me joy. Most often, I find dishware readily available to buy. Once I found a plate embellished with sunflower images. The size is perfect for serving a generous slice of cake or pie. I imagined the plate on the summer buffet with a sunflower table runner beneath. How airy and nice.

Stone in Berea, Kentucky

En route to the South, I stopped at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea to browse the quality artwork sold by Kentucky artists. The site made a wonderful stop for me as I traveled down Interstate 75. The center was like a fancy rest area; it had a cafeteria with indoor seating and lovely grounds to sit outside. It advertises events on its website.  One summer, I bought a beautiful, flat stone painted with two sunflower heads and green leaves. I anticipated putting it in the flower bed at home.

Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea

https://kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov/ 


Outings

In August I like to visit sunflower fields and take photos of them.  You can find lists of businesses that offer the chance to photograph sunflowers and pick sunflowers, too, in some cases.  I have found directories on the following websites.

Northeast Ohio Family Fun

northeastohiofamilyfun.com  

The Cleveland Moms

https://theclevelandmoms.com/sunflower-fields-around-cleveland/