My Art Inspired By Sri Lanka!

No matter where I turned, I spotted beautiful water lilies in Sri Lanka. Whether it was in Lunuganga’s butterfly pond or outside the temples in Colombo; the airport, spice gardens and practically every hotel we stayed at displayed these gems.

I personally don’t believe in plucking flowers, so this is my way of recreating that memory. I’ve chosen three mediums – Origami, Water Color and Acrylic Paints.

As a child I remember making paper boats and setting them a sail during the monsoon in Bombay.  I thought of that while trying my hand at making these origami water lilies.

Here’s a GIF that can help you make the water lily, if you’d like to.

I used a 15X15 origami craft paper for the flower and a 5X5 one for the leaf.

The pollen is the easiest step! Take a long strip of paper and fold it lengthwise. Then take a pair of scissors and cut thin strands (horizontally on the side that is folded) but not all the way through, because you don’t want them to get separated. Then simply roll it up horizontally and roll the cut strands outward (refer to the first picture). If you’re trying it and need any help, just comment below and I’ll be happy to help. 🙂

Water Color is a fairly new medium for me, and I’ve got to work real hard for it to not look like a 4-year-old’s attempt, but I like the challenge and I’m going to get this right.

Did you know shadow of these beautiful waterlilies is the perfect hiding spot for fish and frogs?

Last but not the least, my favorite medium is Acrylic. My friend Priya inspired me to make this. For this I used an old embroidery hoop and canvas cloth.

Here’s my version of a water lily pond in Sri Lanka or a lotus pond in Kerala 😀

For centuries the flower has been used in traditional Asian medicine to treat depression and many other ailments. And as I created all of these, I know for sure it made me happy.

Hope you have a day filled with happiness too!

Update – My dear friend Uruj just reviewed a perfume that reminds me of Sri Lanka! It has notes of both the Blue Lotus and cinnamon, you can check it out here.