Creativity isn’t necessarily artistry

(Warning: This particular blog isn’t really very photography related other than that I took a picture of the subject at hand, but I’m blogging about it anyway, so sue me.)

Our home in Florida had a pool. It was a nice sized pool (35,000 gallon) and looked very pretty in its soft blue tranquility. Most evenings I would turn on the pool’s light and the entire back deck area would light up in this wonderful soft blue. However, some evenings I wanted something a bit less intense. I wanted something a bit quieter. But I didn’t know what to do. However, one day it just sort of hit me out of nowhere: floating candle holders!

I thought about the idea for a few days and determined that the best material for the floats would be styrofoam. So I went out and purchased a handful of round styrofoam discs, some blue paint and some small, votive type candles. Into the styrofoam I carved out round slots for the candles to sit down into, painted the discs and inserted the candles. I lit the candles and set them in the pool and they were very cool. Each disc had slots for three candles and the four five of these things floating about looked smashing. However, there was one problem. The slightest breeze would push these things around the pool and they would all wind up huddled together at one end of the pool. While I didn’t actually make this addition, it occurred to me that attaching a fishing line with some lead weights would likely keep these floating candelabras in place.

Fast forward a handful of years to June 2007.

I am a member of the Social Committee for our community. Last year we put together a community luau with food, music and games. We discussed our options for decorating the pool area when I mentioned my candle floats that I had made a few years back in Florida. My Social Committee cohorts liked my idea and authorized me to make a bunch for the pool for the party. I considered my options and what I thought might look nice and came up with this:

Pretty nifty, eh?

It’s really quite simple: a styrofoam disc painted green with a plastic drink cup glued at the center (and a candle glued to the inside of the cup). I then pin four plastic tropical-looking leaves around the centered cup and then lay a plastic lei around the cup. Having learned my lesson in Florida I attach a lead weight via fishing line and an eye hook to the bottom of the disc. I cut the line long enough to position each float individually in the pool (as the pool changes depth), which takes a bit of time, but it gives me an excuse to be in the pool!