Lotus Blossoms and Yoga

My art is so popular with people who do yoga that I'm inspired to get in the groove. I did attend one sunrise session on Venice Beach last fall with my friend, Susanne. And, years ago, my friend Anja and I did the "Salutation to the Sun" in the mornings outside Peter M.'s motorhome on our cross-country folk-singing tour en route to a concert in LA. I didn't know it was yoga then, but I enjoyed the ritual.

Present day. I've been searching the web and the library for books to enlighten me. Like, what does it all mean? Today I met the owner of Yoga SRQ on Pineapple in Sarasota and she gave me a coupon for a free week of yoga which I'm going to use next week. More on that magical occurrence later (meeting her and stumbling upon her yoga studio). Know that it was a fortuitous meeting which led from one thing to another. Like I said, more on that later.

In my search for information about all things yoga, I felt an overwhelming urge to paint a lotus blossom. I did a google search and voila! I discovered something wonderful: the water lilies in the lily pond by the library at lotus (click here to see my Aug 4 post) !!! They have the little seed pods. I was so curious when I was photographing them because I hadn't ever seen the little pods before. They are so beautiful. I'm excited. I can't wait to begin my artistic journey into the world of lotus.

- Raphaella Vaisseau

Lily Pond at the Jacaranda Library in Venice, Florida

I've been driving by this beautiful lily pond for months and finally had my camera in the car and took a few moments to contemplate the splendor of the place.

Lilies, beautiful lilies. I was in Giverny and walked around the pond where Claude Monet painted his beautiful art: Water Lilies in 1906, and Bridge Over a Pond of Lilies in 1899. A much quieter place than this. Yet, I can touch calmness here.

It's something I love about living in Florida: that anywhere, at any moment, even in my back yard, I am touched by awesome beauty. The storm clouds last night looked like the sky in my painting, Lavender Clouds garden.

Today, I was updating my website with all my magnets in FRENCH!!! While files were uploading, I gazed out my studio window and feasted on the lush, green scene in front of my eyes. Even the weathered privacy fence behind the shrubbery looked like a piece of art to me. The banana tree has recovered from the freezing cold of last winter, and the landscape crew keeps the grass and bushes nicely trimmed. Ahhh! I am blessed.