Thistle

My name is Melissa Routzahn, and my piece is titled "Thistle." This piece is a framed photograph of thistle stems, approximately 11 by 13 inches. The thistles are backlit and appear as silhouettes against a gray-blue, foggy background. The focus is on a section of a long thistle stem on the right side of the picture. The thorns are various sizes, point in different directions, and are sharply in focus. To the left, in the background, are the silhouettes of several other stems and one dried thistle flower, layered in varying degrees of clarity. The photo is behind glass in a dark wood frame with a ribbed border. The overall effect is dramatic and a bit ghostly.