Lotusland

The central coast of California is basically a semi-arid desert, so it can be difficult to find a pond.  However, Lotusland is a huge botanical garden on a former private estate in Montecito, California. This garden has its own water source, several ponds, and is densely populated with all sorts of rare and interesting plants. The lotus plants are just starting to emerge in the ponds and I attempted to get some good shots of them. Although dark clouds were descending from the mountains, they burned off in the sunshine and the day was clear and beautiful. I'll be sorting through my photos, cropping here and there and creating some thumbnail sketches.  I just know there's a painting in there somewhere!