Lilypond-First Light

Acrylic on MDF
40 x 60cm

The lilypond on our property offers me endless fascination, meaning and metaphor, and a peaceful getaway whenever I need it, so it seemed the obvious choice for this “outside location” project.

It is a location filled with time-related significance in not only the reflections and shadows and changing colour and light, but in terms of growth and decay, life and death, it is a life-support system, and it links to seasons, ecosystems, fire-management etc.

I took literally hundreds of photos – day 1 from mid-morning to sunset; day 2 a sunrise session which needed to be re-done (grrrr….); and day 3 dawn session 2 – this time using a tripod. 

Dawn brought the palest silver-blue reflections of the sky, no direct sunlight, the most vivid green lilypads, and very soft-focus reflections. For my morning painting, I coloured the sky more towards a brighter, sunnier moment, to create more difference in the reflected water.

I added a fallen leaf to the composition of this series, to show how it slowly becomes submerged over time during the course of the day.