Lily Pads and Koi

A large aerial canvas looks straight down into a pond where broad green pads float on water darkened to a deep wine-red. Each leaf is modelled with photoreal care, its radiating veins, blotched translucence and softly frilled edges caught in shifting light.

Koi thread the gaps between the pads: a vivid blue fish, a lemon-yellow one, a slash of orange-red and a red-and-white fantail near the lower edge. The saturated maroon water throws the greens forward and gives the whole surface a still, watchful calm.