Water lilies in Peaks Pond under Guildford Castle

In the shadow of Guildford Castle lies the tiny Peak’s Pond. I try to visit it every time I’m in Guildford because it has a different aspect every month as plants emerge, flower and die back. For example, April sees the reign of the Marsh Marigolds, their shining buttercup flowers perched above the heavily-veined blue-green kidney-shaped leaves.

By May the Marsh Marigold flowers are over, their leaves are beginning their journey back to the earth, and the sword-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers of Flag Iris dominate the flora.

The painting is set in November. The marigold leaves have disappeared and the fruits of the Iris are ripening – you can see some of them where wind and weight have toppled the stems into the water. But the stars of the pond in November are the water lilies. Their vigorous growth, and the limited space in Peak’s Pond, have forced up the leaves into a mound.

Sun, water, wind – and now cold – have crisped the edges of the leaves. Water creatures have mined the leaves too: at the edges of the clump, the leaves have almost entirely deliquesced, while at the centre there are still flowers and buds. It is a remarkable testament to the force of life that runs through nature.

The focus of the painting is the three fish, that have surfaced to gulp air. The water has become increasingly anoxic – that, and the growth of pondweed and algae makes life difficult for them at this time of year. Sedges at the top of the painting weep onto the lilies. In the foreground, the plants are mostly Rosebay Willowherb seedlings.

These water lilies took a long time to paint – the price has no bearing on the time it took. This painting was also longlisted for Jacksons’ Painting Prize 2022, one of 400 from almost 9,000 entries.

If you like this painting you might also like some of my other water lily paintings. This one was longlisted for the Jacksons’ Painting Prize in 2020, and this one has always been a personal favourite.