Author: Bill

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The Head of a Sunflower

Sunflowers are an iconic symbol of summer, bright and beautiful – and more.

sunflower greeting the morning sun

A sunflower’s sunny yellow petals seem to beam out a message of joy and happiness. But have you ever considered what lies at the heart of this flower? The head of a sunflower is a complex structure that plays an important role in the growth and life cycle of the plant. It is also remarkable for its intricate design and adaptability to different conditions. What lies inside the sunflower head are features that make it a uniquely incredible structure.

What exactly is the Sunflower Head?

The sunflower head is actually made up of many individual flowers. It is a pseudanthium, or flowerhead, consisting of many tiny flowers arranged in spirals around a central disk, with each flower facing outward. The disk is made up of the flower base, which includes a stalk and a peduncle. The flowers themselves consist of five petals and an outer ring of many toothed ray florets. Each petal has a green bottom half with a white top half. At the center of each petal, there is a dark brown to blackish spot. The only “downside” is that the flower has a fetid smell. At the base of the flower are five stamens with anthers that are yellow or white and hair-tipped. They are longer than the filaments. The fruit (the seed) is a follicle with five valves.

Sunflower seeds are a nutritional powerhouse, hidden inside the head of a sunflower. Not only are they rich in healthy fats and vitamins, but they are also a great source of edible oil. Sunflower seed oil is full of essential fatty acids and antioxidants that can help improve overall health. As an added bonus, this oil has a light flavor that won’t overpower the taste of your favorite foods.

sunflower face in detail
Face of a Sunflower

The most common type of sunflower seed used for extractable oil is black-oil sunflowers. These seeds have thinner shells than other varieties and produce up to 40% more oil per pound than any other type of seed available on the market today. The high yield makes them ideal for commercial production and use in processed foods such as crackers, chips, breads, cookies, sauces and dressings.

sunflower lost in the crowd
A sunflower lost in a crowd of sunflowers.

A sunflower is truly a work of art.

Each individual flower has its own stem and petals, though they are much smaller than traditional blooms. The center floret is larger than those around it and provides the famous yellow disc that we’ve come to associate with sunflowers. Every other floret produces a small black seed surrounded by thin bristles that help disperse the seeds when ripe and ready for sowing. It’s truly fascinating how Mother Nature can create such magnificent works of art!

Each sunflower image can be “clicked” to see more detail or you can click a link below to see even more choices…

Link to: Bill’s Sunflower Power Wall Art Collection

Link to: Bill’s Fine Art America Gallery

field of sunflowers
Field of Sunflowers on a farm near Roxanna, Delaware
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Yes, I am Still on Twitter

And I plan to remain tweeting as long as it is beneficial to my business.

There has been a lot of misinformation spreading around social media about the “demise” of Twitter after its acquisition by Elon Musk. I’m not seeing that demise at all. In fact, I am seeing increased engagement, fewer scam posts, fewer (obvious) bot posts and fewer misleading advertisements.

twitter screenshot for article
Twitter profile header as might be seen by a “follower” of my twitter feed.

However, many people are being led astray by the naysayers and meme posts on Facebook and other social media sources. Many of the people sharing, adding negative comments and bashing twitter have little or no first-hand knowledge themselves.

Here is a recent interchange I experienced on Facebook that illustrates the twitter-bashing that has become prevalent. I created a Facebook post asking people to head on over to my Twitter Photography Page and give me a follow (thanking them in advance).

  1. Please hop on over and “follow” my (more general) Twitter Photography Page at https://twitter.com/Beachy (TIA).
    • 5 comments
    • 1) Commenter: you’re on Twitter? geez.
    • 2) Reply: (to Commenter) – been there (started for business) back in 2007. Why “geez”?
    • 3) Commenter: because Musk is a lunatic.
    • 4) Reply: (to Commenter) – Evidently you are not a Twitter user – who can actually see improvements in the platform over the last several weeks. Sadly, you must be a believer of Facebook memes (which are mostly created by foreign bots).
    • 5) Commenter: Oh please…resorting to personal insults? get over yourself.

I must apologize if that someone took offense, thinking I intended a personal insult. I actually believed the commenter was not speaking from personal experience. (And, somehow, I do not believe that person has any real Twitter experience. )

Well, anyway, I’ll stick with the platform and am even happy to subscribe (pay a few bucks a month) to be a “Verified” Twitter user (with the small blue checkmark). That small fee may help support the platform but, more importantly, it will also discourage the nefarious plague of demons (spambots and scammers) emanating from the depths of Hades. (Maybe Facebook should take note.)

Finally…

Twitter has been, and will remain, one of the marketing tools I use for sharing (and selling) my landscape/seascape photography. Why? Simply because it works.

If you are a twitter user would care to give me a follow on Twitter, click here: https://twitter.com/Beachy. Thank you.

office studio at the indian river inlet bridge
My office/studio at the Indian River Inlet Bridge near Bethany Beach, Delaware.
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Bill Swartwout Photography on Redbubble

Check out my store on the Redbubble platform for unique items.

Redbubble.com, or for my store Swartwout.Redbubble.com, is now gaining more of my photographs for use on their products. Check it out – and please give the shop a “follow” and a few likes (if you see something you like, that is).

redbubble store header image
This is the current header for my Redbubble Store emphasizing 2023 as #AYearForArt.

From the “About” page on their website: “Redbubble was born in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The dream was simple. Give independent artists a meaningful new way to sell their creations. Today, we connect over 700,000 artists and designers across the planet with millions of passionate fans. A brave (and dare we say stylish) new world of self expression.” I am now one of those 700,000+ designers and artists.

Link to: Bill’s Redbubble Store

Here is a sample of a December upload with an unique holiday design on shirts.

crab basket christmas tree on redbubble shirts
Here is how the Crab Basket Christmas Tree Watercolor looks on T-shirts at Redbubble. A wide variety of shirts and sizes are available.

Do artists actually buy art from Redbubble?

Yes they (we) do. Here is an item that arrived as I was creating this post. I needed a small spiral bound notebook to keep near my keyboard and this one caught my eye. It is the creation of a Florida designer known as Pen and Rose Stationers. The item arrived only four days after I placed the order, it was exactly as described, well packaged and is perfect for what I need.

Victorian Starry Night Sky Memoranda Notebook by PenAndRose at redbubble
Victorian Starry Night Sky Memoranda Notebook by PenAndRose at Redbubble.

Here is a related post about: buying one’s own art.