Helianthus annuus - the sunflower

This brooch is a modern take on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers-the most recognisable still life painting by the artist.

It is said that he painted them to welcome his friend Paul Gauguin as a guest to his yellow house in Arles, to symbolise their friendship.

Most people will have seen a print of this very famous work by van Gogh, but if you get one chance to see it in real life then my advice is to take it. It’s far better when you see it up close-the print just doesn’t do it justice.

With the real thing you can almost smell the flowers and you can certainly feel the strength of the friendship between the two men.

I’d like to think we all have the talent to produce great works of art like the sunflowers, but I can already hear some of you saying - I'm not a painter. That's why I love great works of art - they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Perhaps you don't feel all that comfortable painting but you can work wonders in wood, tell great tales with your stories, make fabulous jewellery like the piece in this picture.

Whatever you’re good at, give yourself a chance, try out a class or two near you, you never know who you might meet, or what you might discover.

It’ll be a welcome challenge, but so is life.