White  Lotus

The Lotus flower is closely associated with most Eastern religions. It is an aquatic plant – a beautiful, flower that grows in the muddy swamps of India and south east Asia. The flower opens its petals in the morning as the sun rises and closes them again in the evening. Each flower last only a few days. But the seed pod can survive for as long as a thousand years!

So it is hardly surprising that the East Asian religions took the Lotus flower to be the embodiment of purity in mind, body and spirit.

I painted the White Lotus and Mimosa in the warm summer months, using Japanese Washi paper made from Mulberry leaves. I paint on traditional black Sumi and coloured mineral inks with brushes from China and Japan. The painting has been float mounted and framed in natural Ash.