Everyone loves a flower, right? Well, most of the time that’s true, but there can be a few exceptions. There are a few blooms that are just plain ugly, and many more who’s beauty tends to fade as the color dwindles and petals begin to wilt. And then there are some that are beautiful even after they are very long gone. Such is the case with this old, dried up thistle flower. When I looked at it, I could still see a hint of it’s former beauty and I knew that with a little work it could be a thing of beauty again, if only in an artistic way. That was what made me take the photo to begin with, back in the late spring of 2021. It had been over a year, and I decided to revisit it and see what I could do with it. I used a combination of programs and a bit if creative hand coloring to get this image. I was pretty pleased with the end results. I hope you enjoy it, too.