Ponds Reflections

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2017.

I have been visiting the Sherman Gardens and Library in Newport Beach for long years. I prefer to go in different seasons to see the new arrangements, plants and landscape decorations. And of course, every time, I take lots of pictures. The one above and next are from the pond inside the Greenhouse, 2017.

I feel fascination to see the Koi fish across the geometrical patterns of the translucent roof. I always see it  as a clear combination of nature and architecture. Because when we look at the pond, it is not only the fish, but the elements seen underwater and the reflections above as well. And the sum of all of this creates the beauty of the pond.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2017

I took this picture without the Koi fish to emphasize the architectural reflection and shadows. Note the deep blue of the CA sky! Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2017

This year I went to see the pond again. And the colors and reflections were not the same, even under the blue radiant sky. I looked up and it seems to me the plastic sheets in the roof are brand new. The interesting geometrical patterns have been lost. I have no other explanation, I always go at -approximately- the same hour. I am sharing the pictures to compare the impressions. I have even squeezed my eyes, thinking it could be the different camera I am using, but no. This is another type of reflection.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives 2020.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020.

The next two pictures were taken in Fashion Island, Newport Beach. And the reflection of the building looks great to me, mostly on the second shot.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, November 2017.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, November 2017.

This two pictures below were taken at the Sherman Gardens in 2017. The pond is open to the sky and this is what it looked like. In a partial view. The aquatic plants take the whole credit.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2017

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2017

This year, the same pond has been covered by Passion fruit plant. And look how the pond looks with the climber reflections, absolutely gorgeous. It has gained a lot of texture, color and mystery. 

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020.

This is the hanging plants above the pond. Note the added reflections and textures even in Autumn. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020.

This is the hanging plants above the pond. Note the added reflections and textures even in Autumn. I left the figure of the man behind to add scale. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020

The picture above is not a pond but a huge ceramic pot filled with water and with flowers floating in it. Under a trellis. See the nice reflections of light and shadows. Depending on the view, we can see the trellis right above and those complex patterns that look like fractals among the flowers.

We have more visual and cognitive value without a doubt.  The organic patterns are intertwined with  the Euclidean patterns of the 2x joists in the trellis.

Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives. 2020

This pond and fountain from The Getty Villa in Malibu looks pretty dull to me. I even think the temple behind is extra. And there is not treatment of the planters edges. See there are almost no reflections inside the pond. Photo by Myriam Mahiques. Personal archives, 2017.