While my son was in baseball practice, I took a nice walk by the water. 
There is a long dock from where I spotted some lilli pads.  

And the overlaping simple shapes were the inspiration I needed for this painting.

I learned that water lilies and lotus are different flowers, but they are both aquatic plants. 
The flower grows in muddy water and pops to the surface to bloom, majestic and pure.  That is remarkable! They are symbolic of beauty, purity,  and creation. 

Here is the process:

There were so many cool effects in that background, it was hard to pick and choose what to save.  
This painting was like getting to know someone. I got my first impression of the background and as I sketched the flowers I got to notice more of its' details.  Then when I painted the blue over, the effect was striking!  The splashes of color became more intense.  

Part of me wanted to leave the shapes with no details, and from far away, it still looks like the mere silhouettes of lotus. As you move closer you can see the details on each petal and pad.

This week, I would like to encourage you to get to know someone a little better, how about yourself?