Lotus Flower

They look a lot like waterlilies, they grow i water, have big pads and similar flowers except the stems are a lot taller and the centers of the flowers are very unique and when dried, they are highly prized for dried flower arrangements.


"Lotus Flower"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

Perfect Reflections

At first I thought there were two waterlilies but when I looked closer, it's only one with a great reflection.  I'm often surprised when I review my pictures.  Many times I'm so focused on one thing that I miss something else.

"Perfect Reflections"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

In Monet's Memory

Monet was obsessed with waterlilies.  He built his own pond to grow this elegant flower so he could paint them whenever he wished.  An artist's dream.

"In Monet's Memory"   © Kathy Dunham 2009

From Monet's Bridge

A treat of a lifetime! I get to paint in Monet's Garden this afternoon. It took 2 years to get permission, but here I am and the flowers are wonderful. It's overcast so I won't get a lot of great color or contrast, but it is the garden that was planted to be painted. We can't paint until 5:30 so we go in earlier to check it out. His house is interesting as are all the wonderful flowers. But it's his pond of waterlilies that are so famous. They won't be in bloom until later in the year but the wisteria over his Japanese bridge was in full bloom!

"From Monet's Bridge" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Not Monet's Waterlilies

Earlier this year, while visiting the newly renovated Getty Villa in Malibu, I spotted these waterlilies. A favorite of Claude Monet, who designed his gardens at Giverny, France to accommodate them, these lilies pale by comparison. Although nicely focused as a landscape feature, there were very few compared to the large pond of them Monet used as inspiration for many paintings.

"Not Monet's Waterlilies" © Kathy Dunham 2009