Flower of Scotland

Acrylics on canvas. this painting recalls memories of my home in Scotland the bright color of Thistles and the soft greens of their sharp thorns. As kids we were all ways lookinf for docking leaves to rub over our stinging hands, from where we touched the thistles. sometimes we would stnad amongst them not know ing they were there, because their flowers had not opened yet and they would sting our legs.
The most famous legend of these Scottish flowers is that they saved Scotland from a Viking attack in the 13th century. It is said that a barefoot Norseman stepped on one, barefoot ,and cried out in pain, this alerted the sleeping Scots, who then defeated the invaders The Scots then adopted the prickly plant as their national flower, it appears on coins and is a symbol of Scottish identity.