Symbols of Georgia

"Symbols of Georgia"
8" x 10" acrylic on gessoed masonite

This little painting is a tribute to the Cherokee rose, state flower of Georgia. As the legend goes, when the Trail of Tears started in 1838, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much, they were unable to help their children survive the journey. The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother’s spirits to give them strength. The next day a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother’s tears fell. The rose is white for their tears; a gold center represents the gold taken from Cherokee lands, and seven leaves on each stem for the seven Cherokee clans. The wild Cherokee Rose grows along the route of the Trail of Tears into eastern Oklahoma today. To me, no painting of this rose would be complete without adding the brown thrasher, the Georgia state bird and a welcomed resident of my back yard. They often build their nest very wisely among the extremely thorny tangle of Cherokee rose branches offering protection to their young.

"Symbols of Georgia" is in January's EBSQ's Flower of the Month contest. Winners are decided by member and patron voting, so please visit, see all the entries and hopefully you'll cast a vote for this offering or "Sunflowers", my previous post and also an entrant.