Thistles, 11X14, OilThe USDA calls the Texas Thistle a "noxious weed." It's thorny and invasive and hard to control and one of my absolute favorite plants - these bristley things pop up all along the highways and in pastures in the hot months. I gaze at them with longing when I drive home from work, trying to figure out some safe spot where I can pull over and get a photo without getting flattened by an 18-wheeler.
Right now they are just about everywhere, so I'm convinced that someone in the LadyBird Johnson Beautify the Highways camp has decided they are a worthy native Texas resident exempt from the summertime mowers. This painting found a home with a lovely little lady who has traveled the world collecting thistle art. She comes to my shows every now and then, and I always have a new thistle gift I've made especially for her when she arrives. She is a kindred thistle-loving soul.
