The photo above is the original one I took in the winter of 2004 at the Blue Hole, Santa Rosa, NM. The Blue Hole is a large spring with a constant temp and it has this wonderful color. This is an unmanipulated photo. The koi are of course not native to the pool, but added a bright touch to the water.
The photo is a manipulated one adding a bit of color to the reflected surface and the fish recolored. The name of the needlepoint.
Since I had been researching the topic of creativity for a lecture I gave at the EGA 2012 National Seminar, I have been more cognizant of my own sources of inspirations and how I handle them. It was a right-brain dominant moment when I saw the photos I had taken and also "saw" the finished work in my mind. It was the left brain dominance in me that thought through the design and engineering of the work. The right brain should work in yoke with the left brain for the most satisfactory results.