This work is composed of vertical lines created by horizontally inking lotus impressions. Imagine how a lotus grows: emerging straight and tall from muddy depths. It is symbolic of all Buddhism. I use lotus stalks as my brush, and these thirteen stalks here face the entrance to the gallery, set behind the lotus installation. Visually on entering into the gallery, the roots in this triptych are hidden by the dried flowers display. Only when one walks around it, do these lines become visible to the eye. Why did I paint thirteen stalks? The number represents death and rebirth through ascension into eternal life.