Earlier this month, while I was out taking photos of the butterflies and other insects that feed in the wildflowers behind my office, I happened on this lone, fading dandelion (Taraxacum sp.). We haven’t had much rain so far this spring, so the flower looked pretty dry and was definitely past it’s prime. I really liked the contrast of the green and yellow and the dried, reddish tips of the petals and bracts added just the right finishing touch. I was also totally enthralled with the rough, folded textures of the petals in contrast with the relatively smooth bracts. The whole thing just seemed to be a study in contrasts. I know that this flower won’t win any beauty awards, but at least to the artist in me, it is has a type of beauty of its own.