My interest in waterlilies began many years ago when I owned a cottage on Georgian Bay in northern Ontario, where I would paddle my kayak to the end of the bay into a small lagoon that was filled with native white waterlilies (Nymphaea odorata) and yellow pond lilies. I spent many hours drifting around and photographing in that lagoon and I devoted three years to painting these waterlilies.

Later travels took me twice to India, where I learned about the sacred lotus and its importance in Hinduism and Buddhism. Although I never saw lotuses growing in India, I did see lotus buds that were presented as offerings to Shiva at temples in the south of India. When I came home from India, I was interested to learn where I might see lotus growing in Canada, and I contacted a garden writer at the Toronto Star newspaper to ask for assistance. She put me in touch with the owner of a private water garden on Lake Erie and the friendly gardener invited me to visit his pond the following summer. I was absolutely stunned when I visited this garden and saw the lotuses in bloom. I had no idea of the size of the flowers or their spectacular beauty and I fell in love with the ‘Mrs. Perry D. Slocum’ variety.

I was in Morocco October of 2008. I thought you'd be interested in seeing the Majorelle Gardens, which became Yves St. Laurent's home and gardens for the last years of his life. He died about a year ago and is buried there. 

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