Elizabeth Reich
- Jun 30, 2022
- 2 min read

Water Lily, Fish, and a Canoe

Updated: Sep 15, 2022

What do Lilies and Fish have to do with one another? July's Birth flower, the water lily. Made famous by Monet, he painted 200+ water lilies, they are Monet's flower. Let me tell you my story of this flower.

hand-painted watercolor, of a pink to peach water lily with green lily pads, showing light and shadow against a dark pond black with a flash of orange. Watercolor art by Elizabeth, artist and founder of LZBTH Creative.

Water Lily and Fish

Water lily ponds are a place of quiet reflection for me, the depths of the water create deep cool shadows that mesmerize. My interest stays with flecks of orange signaling koi, and the play of green in sunlight and shadow. The pops of magenta, pink, and yellows of the water lily flowers calls for attention. Sitting at one of these ponds, quiets this busy mind. Sometimes life calls us to find a place so we can reflect or meditate. This is the story I wished to bring to the latest watercolor art.

July Birth Month Flower: Water Lily

Water Lily family Nymphaeaceae containing 58 species. Genus Nympaea (water lilies proper of 46 species). The North American pond lily (usually white) is Nymphaea odorata. Water lilies are either tropical or hardy, both are perennials.

The amazon water lily pads grow up to 8 feet in diameter!

Water lilies, grown from rhizomes, and are their own ecosystem:

Shade from the lily pad reduces algae growth
Fish and wildlife appreciate the plant as a food source
The plant acts as a filter

Symbolism of the Water Lily

A resource mentioned:

In Buddhism the water lily symbolize rebirth, because it opens and closes each day. They also symbolize enlightenment. Because these beautiful flowers emerge from a dark, and usually dirty, pond.

It also represents:

It is the national flower of Bangladesh.
The white Water lily represents purity and innocence
a pink one is joy and friendship
yellow is about new beginnings and energy
In the past the root has been used to treat insomnia, anxiety and act as a painkiller or anti-inflammatory.

About the Canoe

On a Girl Scout canoe trip, one of my canoe mates wanted to try and pick a water lily. After much arguing, plus her attempts to see what a lily pad was made of, she realized paddling through the pads to get to a flower, couldn't happen. On that note. . .

If July is your birthday month,

Happy Birthday to You!

Visit my Society6 store for: Lily and Fish, July Birth Flowers, available as art prints, wall decor and more, click the below button for a direct link to the new art.

View Water Lily and Fish

Your Painterly Artist,

Elizabeth