It's hard to believe it is nearly the end of 2021. As we all know, Covid restrictions have made our lives very different, but staying safe is the most important thing we can do.
The restrictions have meant lots of home time and I have put this to good use. A new collection is available now, Koi Ponds.
I have always been fascinated by Koi fish and the serenity of their environment. The legend of Koi Fish even includes a dragon.
One legend tells us an ancient tale of a huge school of golden koi swimming upstream in the Yellow River in China. Gaining strength by fighting against the current, the school glimmered as they swam together throughout the river. When they reached a waterfall at the end of the river, many of the koi turned back, letting the flow of the river carry them away. The remaining koi refused to give up. Leaping from the depths of the river, they attempted to reach the top of the waterfall to no avail. Their efforts caught the attention of local demons, who mocked their efforts and heightened the waterfall out of malice. After a hundred years of jumping, one koi finally reached the top of the waterfall. The gods recognized the koi for its perseverance and determination and turned it into a golden dragon, the image of power and strength.
Now I couldn't make koi ponds, as they are usually quite large to transport round to Art Shows, so I decided to make miniature ones.
Each of my ponds contains koi fish, lily pads and lilies, all cut from metal and hand painted. There can be up to 8 layers of resin and each one holds fish and some lily pads. It has been a very good learning experience with the resin.
For this one I added a hand made bonsai tree
in the centre.
I was able to find some really interesting bowls for these ponds.
Of course, I couldn't leave it there, could I? No, I wanted to find out just how small I could go with making a koi pond!! Of course! - a pocket watch with the mechanism removed.
And, Yes, I am thinking about another way of presenting Koi Ponds.
Stay Tuned and Stay Safe!
