Making of Aquarius

One of the things I enjoy when we are in our winter home in Arizona is the infrared sauna. I usually find myself in the sauna a couple of times a week. Don't get me started on the benefits of a sauna, that's a whole different post and another lifetime!

What I truly love about my time in the sauna, is being able to get lost in the music. This is one place I can completely let go. No worries, no to do lists, no thinking about anything outside of that heated box. The music that we have playing right now is more instrumental, and almost native sounding to me. Each song is so unique. I find myself getting lost in images as I listen to the music swirling around me.

Aquarius is one of those images I have had when in my sauna. I knew I wanted a girl and that she would convey being lost in dance. I think it being a girl takes me back to a time for me when life seemed perfect. Before my world would crumble.

As I began painting her, I had a lot of trial and error to really get the image that was in my mind out onto the canvas. The first rendition was not good. I attempted using a gel medium to make her come off the canvas, and also depict just the essence of a person floating. I also had these ribbons added in, thinking they'd resemble music. Just didn't work.

I painted the background on this one first, and just loved the colors and swirls. I knew after getting it on the canvas that she'd be in water. I did research online to get a reference photo of a girl floating in water so I would have the right perspectives. Aquarius was created from a picture I saw that immediately matched what I was trying to get from my head to canvas.

After I completed her, I was having trouble with a title. So, I put it out to all of you and Lisa Williamson came up with Aquarius. I loved it instantly.

Aquarius is 30 x 24 acrylics. She is exactly what I envisioned during my sauna session. Completely carefree, weightless and feeling the music!

Tell me, what do you feel when you see her?