Arrival of Cosmic Sunflower

The arrival in the title feels like a moonrise. The great mandala, drawn in fine black lines with orange and yellow outlines picking out its petals, sits low behind the flowers like a moon on the horizon, and its own centre is a smaller sunflower. In front, painted sunflowers answer it, their petals in warm yellow and orange against dark blue.

Sunflowers turn to follow the sun, which makes them a natural emblem of optimism and devotion, and yellow is the colour of auspicious occasions in India, from haldi ceremonies to Vasant Panchami. The speckled teal sky gives the yellows extra glow. Combining a painted scene with a traditional mandala makes this one of the more pictorial pieces in the Life series, and a cheerful, bright choice for a family room, dining area or a child's bedroom.