thistle

Thistle November 5, 2016

/ beverlydyer / 2 Comments

Flower department

The blue-grey thistle seems so

Exotic, simple.

Art Prescription:  I did an art demo today at my favorite local store, Southern Season, a gourmet food and specialty item store here in Chapel Hill, NC. I was launching my Art Prescription Deck: A dose of coloring inspiration! The store looked beautiful and festive putting me in a pre-holiday mood. My table was in the stationery and flower department…perfect! I did live painting and gave away miniature works. The thistle was my favorite.

Index card with watercolor:

Index card thistle.jpeg

Haiku September 24, 2012 Dyer’s Saffron

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Orange Safflower

Herbaceous, thistle-like

Showy golden globe.

Art Prescription:  Dyer’s Saffron, also known as, Dyer’s Thistle, Safflower, and American Saffron is a herbaceous plant with composite flowers. My hubby picked up a bunch at our local grocery store last weekend.  My guess thistle family. Pretty purple thistles grow along roadsides here in North Carolina.  I was surprised to find that its seeds are extracted for oil used in paints, varnishes, cooking, illumination, and in the manufacture of soap. A scarlet red dye, insoluble in water, can be obtained from the dried florets and used for dying clothes, cakes, biscuits, and rouge. Hence, Dyer’s Saffron!! One of the most pleasurable aspects of creativity is the act of observation and curiosity about your subjects!