Texas Blue Bonnet

Impressionist Texas Blue Bonnet, the state flower, (2007) stands tall among its field of peers along a Texas roadside in Central Texas. The Mexicans... more

by Julie Davis

Original - Sold

Price

Not Specified

Dimensions

10.000 x 8.000 x 1.000 inches

Title

Texas Blue Bonnet

Artist

Julie Davis

Medium

Painting - Acrylic On Canvas

Description

Impressionist Texas Blue Bonnet, the state flower, (2007) stands tall among its field of peers along a Texas roadside in Central Texas. The Mexicans refer to it as ~el conejo,~ the Spanish word for it is ~Jackrabbit.~ There is a tale from the Comanche Nation that explains how this beautiful flower was gifted to the Comanche, yet it is also a fine tribute to a people who knew the meaning of self-sacrifice and survival. There was a little girl, She-Who-Is-Alone, whose heart is as big as Texas and whose spirit is as beautiful as the bluebonnet.

She-Who-Is-Alone lived with the Comanche. Their land was suffering from a drought an no matter what the dancers did, there were still no rains. The shaman told the people that the Great Spirits believed that the people had become too selfish and for the rains to return, the Comanche had to offer a burnt sacrifice to the Great Spirits, of their most valued possession. The people wanted to give the offering but each one was sure that his bow or her blanket was not what the Great Spirits wanted. She-Who-Is-Alone knew exactly that the Great Spirits expected the doll she loved so dearly. That night after everyone went to sleep, she went to the fire and offered her doll as a sacrifice. When the ashes cooled, she scattered them to the four corners of the earth. When the tribe arose the next morning, the hillside was covered with blue flowers, a sign of forgiveness from the Great Spirits. As they offered their thanks, the rains came and healed the earth.

Indians wove fascinating folk tales around them. The early-day Spanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions. This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought the plant from Spain, but this is not true since the two predominant species of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and at no other location in the world. Historian Jack Maguire wrote, that "The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland."

Uploaded

February 7th, 2010