Sunset Siren

This 30 x 40 painting came about from my love of fantasy and my desire to translate my normally small-scale fashion illustrations onto a larger canvas. Originally I intended to fit her entire figure onto the canvas but in order to have more attention paid to her face, I enlarged the scale of the figure.

What started out as a relatively simple composition with the models platinum blonde hair and a solid white backdrop soon morphed into an extravaganza of color. Trendy lavender hair immediately brings in an element of fantasy, like she is a fairy or some beautiful being from another plane of existence.

Instead of the initially planned, more safe white backdrop, I decided to paint a sunset sky to bring in color, depth and to give the piece more story and intrigue.

The breezy pose, enhanced by the movement in the model's hair and the flowing skirt, work together in creating a whimsical impression of reverie. 

In Greek mythology, the Siren was a dangerous woman who lured nearby sailors with her enchanting voice and music to shipwreck on the rocky coast of her island. With this piece entitled 'Sunset Siren', I didn't necessarily intend to refer to the siren's of the ancient mythology, but simply to portray a dreamy yet strong and ambiguous figure who seems to be glamorous and at one with nature; her outstretched pose mimicking the changing color tones in the sky behind her.