Kelly’s plant drawings, which span nearly his entire career, reflect the importance of the natural world in his art. He drew from observation, depicting each plant as he saw it in the moment. Without shading, these drawings depend solely on Kelly’s line to convey a sense of three dimensions, and the negative spaces are often as important as the positive. The germination of his abstract paintings can often be traced back to the shapes in these drawings. In this instance, the curve of the stem in Water Lily closely resembles that of Blue Curve IV.