The Dandelion

Oil On Canvas

12”x9”x1/2”

This painting aims to illustrate the fragility of life. I find the life cycle of the dandelion mesmerizing; The seedlings begin to mature and grow larger into a plant until eventually the flower will appear. The fruit begins to develop inside the flower. A long extension then extends from the fruit to the pappus, a group of fluffy white hairs that form a circle around the stem. The wind often disperses the seeds from the pappus, the seeds travel through the air and when it settles on moist soil and receives a full day of sunlight will grow into a new dandelion seedling. 

The sight of the flower, broken and misplaced on the concrete looked pretty unnerving to me. The reality of it being stepped on or squashed into the ground before its cycle is complete made me stop and reflect on the human cycle and how it can be cut short at anytime without notice, a simple reminder to not take life for granted.