Stardancer

"Stardancer" -- line art in biro on paper, scanned image digitally colored in Corel Painter

*Full view highly recommended. ^^

"Stardancer" is the February 2011 theme for the Enchanted Visions Project. The inspiration for the colors came from many gorgeous images of nebulas/nebulae and faraway galaxies by the Hubble Space Telescope. I was trying to paint her as if she was this celestial body -- a sculpture made of dust clouds and gas plumes seen in many nebulas. I spent a lot of time studying the photos to try to capture the look of beautiful floating gas veils and filaments.

As for the figure, whenever I hear the word "dancer", the first thing that pops up in my mind is a ballet dancer, so I just had to go with it. This is because I've spent many years taking classes as well as teaching. Although I no longer dance, I still admire dancers and those who strive daily in pursuit of the ever-ellusive 'perfection'.

©Aruarian Dancer/ Mitzi Sato-Wiuff