My latest pastel is of a lotus--one of my favorite flowers.  Along with the rose, the lotus symbolizes human wholeness.  I think it is fascinating that such beauty blossoms out of the muddy water where lotuses grow.  On the surface they look separate, but far below, their roots are all intertwined.  Lots to ponder in that image.

The lotus shows me that no matter how murky and tangled things are in the places we live, the beauty of our souls can blossom as we grow towards the Light.