Tumbling Bodies

So in the process of doing all of this figure painting, one of the models had a penchant for trying these really contorted poses...channeling her inner gymnast. And although the result was some really interesting anatomical studies, I couldn't for the life of me figure how I could ever use them in a finished work. Sure Luca Signorelli's Damned Consigned to Hell from the Orvieto Cathedral uses such figures, or the back wall of the Sistine Chapel, but I was coming up empty. Then one weekend while in Columbus visiting my daughter, I took a walk in Schiller Park and hanging from wires throughout the park are these lovely figure sculptures. I photographed a couple of the more interesting ones to show my classes. And later, while looking at the pictures on my iPad, the light went on and so...