Would Vincent love the cupcake?

"A good picture is equivalent to a good deed." Vincent Van Gogh

And what great deeds were given to us by Van Gogh! When I think about Van Gogh, I often think sunflowers. I love standing face to face with a sunflower bigger than your own head. Whether dead or alive there is endless depth and beauty.

The closer you get the more you see.  I used to paint and draw.  Although it's very satisfying to do both, of late, I take photos.   I try to take a photo every day. Sometimes it's a great meal, sometimes I try to take a random picture out the window while driving (not recommended), and sometimes I'll take 100 photos if I'm somewhere photo-worthy. If Vincent's quote is true, I'm racking up points in good pictures. They may not be good to others, but if it sings to me, it's good enough. Taking a good photo has elevated my happiness quotient. It's like accomplishing something on a day where you feel like you've done nothing worthwhile. It's like seeing something new and good in the world each day. Some different perspective, some different view about something. It's about finding beauty in ordinary everyday life. A friend in Minnesota laughed when I took a photo of her old sink and faucet. I thought it was beautiful. The photo hangs in my bathroom. I think of her everyday when I see that old sink and faucet that has long been replaced with something new.

This next photo was taken of sunflowers left on the patio table after a rainstorm in Boston. The photo itself looks like a painting.  Double points on this one.
So admire real sunflowers, eat the delicious seeds, scatter them on your bread and salads and cereal and then go to Whole Foods and treat yourself to a sunflower cupcake.  What I would give to hand one of these cupcakes to Vincent while he sips his absinthe.