Koi and Lilies

"Koi and Lilies" 20 x 20 oil on canvas (c) Mary Hubley

There are lovely koi ponds hidden in the gardens of the oldest homes in St. Augustine, Florida, and they beckon my artistic muse. When I found this pond, I sat and watched the fish for at least 15 minutes.

Koi are energetic beggers of food, yet they have the power to mesmerize. I found myself feeling relaxed, meditative, and quite happy. Pond life has a way of doing that. So, I watched rather than painted.

 But after a while, I shook of the trance. I got to work. As the koi grew accustomed to me disregarding their constant pleas for food, the fish decided to ignore me and they went back to swimming rather than begging.

I keep going back to this St. Augustine koi pond, and have also found some new ponds since. As a result, I have painted a growing series of these beautiful pond fish.

--Mary Hubley
www.maryhubley.com