Water Lilies and Dragonflies

Pink water lilies open across a clear garden pond, surrounded by round green pads and shallow stones beneath the surface. One large bloom fills the lower left, another sits near the center, and a smaller flower rests farther back on the right. Three blue dragonflies hover or perch above the pads, each separated enough to catch the eye.

A dragonfly's transparent wings cross the pond differently from a leaf or petal. Thin veins remain visible even where the water shows through them. Lily pads have broader, opaque surfaces, with a notch cut into each rounded edge. Between the pads, submerged stones appear softer than the flowers above. Comparing those edges helps distinguish a reflection from an object on the surface, particularly in the small green sections around the blooms.