UPDATE 5/27/10: Renee mentioned the interview on her site! :)
Since coming to work for a pond design and installation company, I’ve become slightly obsessed with koi. Their bright colors, fluid movements and friendliness capture my heart. I was heartbroken when we sold “Goldie” from the back greenhouse, a 24” pale orange koi that came to the surface to greet me whenever I poked my head over his pond. Even if I failed to produce food he’d silently gape his hello, blinking as I rubbed his forehead or tickled his fins.
"Koi" by Reneé Lawter
Koi are universally beloved for their beauty, longevity and tameness. Even the word “koi” itself is a synonym for “love” in Japanese. I first came across Reneé Lawter’s beautiful watercolor, “Koi,” while browsing Flickr.
"Koi are favorites of mine,” Reneé said, “and painting the koi piece was an experience. It was like painting silk ribbons.”
Reneé Lawter's delightfully sweet logo, which she baked herself. :)
For inspiration she looked to her two Japanese fighting fish, Fishy Von Fishenburg and Madam Peach, and also her memories of a large koi pond where she used to work.
“From what I understand,” Reneé said, “koi fish mate like crazy and live very, very long lives—250 years for some—so by the end of the summer they would be like water pigs just stuffed under the water. I remember we would drop bread crumbs in (or half a sandwich, whoops!) and it would be gobbled up in seconds. I always wondered what would happen if I fell in. Eeek!"
"Karma Kreatures"
Reneé also painted
a koi skateboard for the
V Foundation (a cancer research charity) and ESPN XGames.
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