What are your thoughts about a floral arrangement?

I’ve never painted a floral arrangement before, but I’m thinking that might be a great direction for my next piece. What do you think?

And who better to take inspiration from than our good old one-eared friend? (I know I should say that with a bit more respect, but I think he’d get a laugh out of it, so it’s all good!) Plus, if I’m going to dress up as him for a Halloween party, I figure I’m qualified to call him that! I’m not sure when this particular piece by Van Gogh was painted, but I really love the mix of browns, reds, and yellows. There’s one part though—the greens in the lower left flower—that I plan to adjust. The sap green is a bit too saturated, and I think it needs to be toned down with a more neutral shade.

And then there’s that “pole” on the right side of the vase. I can’t tell if it’s the vase handle or part of a chair behind the table, but either way, it feels distracting. What do you think? Should I keep it or remove it?

The red in the top left corner really grabs me—it screams “passion” and works so well with the yellows. I’d love to receive a bouquet like this. It’s got “love” written all over it!

Also, check out the yellow beneath the vase. Van Gogh did that intentionally to make the vase appear more luminous, almost glass-like. I absolutely love that detail!

Vincent van Gogh, Poppy Flowers, 65 cm × 54 cm (26 in × 21 in) (1887)