IMAGINING LILY PONDS by Michael Crowley

Does this lily pond convey anything Monet’s

doesn’t? Color, brush stroke, placement of pads

may differ but the subjects the same: lily pads

flowers and water. Am I moved differently?

Well, yes and no. Monet gives me more choices

with his multiple canvases. Is there one Monet

superior to Dornfest’s lilies. Truly, beauty lies

in the eye of the beholder. For me it’s

a coin toss. I’ve seen enough lily ponds

in all seasons there are no surprises

unless the unexpected occurs. Mating

dragonflies, a bass crushing an unsuspecting

frog, an alligator feasting on a blue heron or

marble sized hail covering the pads at the end

of the storm. I stand hoping to find the unexpected.

If not there, memory provides it. Paintings

are starting points. Yes, I imagine that Bluegill

lurking under the pad hoping to snatch

a morsel skimming the surface of the water.