Original artwork description:

The impossibly beautiful. lotus flower has always been one of my favourite places in our Botanic Gardens.
In Buddhist symbolism the lotus is symbolic of purity of the body, speech, and mind as while rooted in the mud, its flowers blossom on long stalks as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of water easily slide off its petals.

Every summer Adelaide Botanic Garden's Nelumbo Pond springs to life, with its sacred lotus flowers (Nelumbo nucifera) .
This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being incredibly from that of seeds 1,300 years old. These seeds were recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.
The roots of lotus are planted in the soil of a pond or river bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it. The flowers rise on thick stems rising several centimetres above the leaves, creating a wondrous sight.

Materials used:

oil paint and ink

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