32. Waterlily #6

For a long time, I always thought waterlilies as lotuses. The lotus being very common in India, I had seen only the lotus and never a lily, and could not really differentiate one from the other. It was only after I started seeing paintings and photos that I got to know that the waterlily also looks very similar to a lotus. Never bothered to learn the difference though, until a friend popped up the question couple of years ago.:)

Waterlily #6
Acrylics on board, 5 * 7 inches
Copyright Nithya Swaminathan

Do you know the difference between a waterlily and a lotus? Have a look at this video, that says the difference is actually in the leaves and not the flower. It seems the lotus leaves do not float on the water but are well above it. I did not know this either, as I thought the lotus leaves too float. I remember from several years ago, my grandmother used to eat on a lotus leaf for specific occasions. It is not for festivities though, as a banana leaf is.

I am really pleased with this piece, it is my favorite so far. I think I really found my groove in this one. What do you think? Let me know your comments!