Friday, April 18, 2008

"What's Attractive...?"

"Across the Pond"
the thistle is an ancient Celtic heraldic symbol
denoting one's nobility, character, and birth.
In Scotland
the thistle is considered a national symbol.

In Arizona
Cirsium neomexicanum
was allegedly used by the Navajo and Hopi Indians
for medicinal purposes.
It blooms pink-purple in the Arizona desert
from March to September.
Painted Ladies find it very attractive.

So, now I ask you...
Why do they annoy me so,
and
Why are they persistently attempting
to root themselves all over my
backyard??? :(

What are these things anyway???
War Emblems...Wonder Drugs....Wildflowers...or Weeds?

Beauty
must truly be in the eyes of the beholder...
At least, the Painted Ladies (and the artist in me) think it so! ;)

13 comments:

soulbrush said...

ha ha can't help laughing at your annoyance...weeds, they annoy us yet they have their own beauty!

Ann said...

I really like this one - the way you designed the page, the inclusion of the butterfly, and that purple of the thistle - lovely!

Leslie said...

Very nice!! I love thistle because they attract goldfinches, too. :)

Teri said...

Margaret, this is just beautiful!! That thistle is gorgeously done and the butterfly too. Love this.

Clare said...

Oh! Such a delightful page, I love it! Thanks for sharing this Margaret.

Ann said...

Hi Margaret - thanks for stopping by my blog:)
About the hand.book - yes, I have a square, 5.5 x 5.5 inches with a blue cover. I mostly bought it because I liked the blue cover! And the size. The paper has a nice tooth, but not too much, though it seems to take a light wc wash ok I doubt it would take a lot of wc. I've only used wet media in it a couple of times and the paper does buckle a little bit. I love the cream color of the paper though. Hope you enjoy yours!

Serena Lewis said...

Everything has its place, I suppose, even if it's annoying at times. Beautiful work! :)

Cathy (Kate) Johnson said...

Just gorgeous! I love thistles, as long as I don't have to pick them without gloves...

Margaret McCarthy Hunt said...

Isnt it sad they are so prickly and pesky but still so gorgeous?!! LOVE this sketch...

sandy said...

Gorgeous flower and great job on the butterfly!

sandy

Lisa M Griffin said...

This is a lovely piece, both the flower and butterfly... and the colors really compliment each other.
Thanks for sharing,
Lisa

Cheryl Gebhart said...

What a wonderful painting!

And - you've been tagged. Check out my blog for details:

http://tinyurl.com/54znc2

Margaret Ann said...

It's amazing how we all can relate to nature...and thistles in particular...so glad you enjoyed!

Thanks, Ann for the info on the square hand.book-possibly could be a new purchase in the future...Hmmm...:)