Friday, March 09, 2007

KNITTYPADS AND WATERLILLIES

Another Kew Garden Image

London's Kew Gardens has enough exotic lilly pads and accompanying lillies to satisfy even the most intense paditosis. I had forgotten that I once had a fasination for these watery beauties way back in my teens. At 15, I had just discovered Waterhouse, a late nineteenth century artist with a thing for intensely romantic images of mythological themes (often served with a side of water). A beautiful painting of pond nymphs luring some innocent youth into the depths seemed sooooooo romantic. My penpal handle at the time was'Lorelei of the Sea' so that should tell you something—but, as a chubby little eccentric, the only thing I could lure successfully was munchies into my mouth. But, oh to be svelt and at one with the water.

Now, when I look at that painting, I realize the colors influenced me as much as anything. Greens, mahogany reds, browns— are all color combinations I return to again and again. Even the component vest collects them all in thread after thread of luscious yarn.

I went scouting around for lilly pad images and found this, an impressionistic  knitted koi pond that wanted to be a wall hanging. I'm not sure what to do with it now, despite all that Tilli Tomas Pure & Simple silk making up the water amid tendrils of Alchemy eel grass, Prism Bubbles and Prism algae.