Considered holy by the Hindus, literally millions of people bathe in the river Ganges every day. It is an amazing spectacle. The women go in fully dressed, creating for a painter, an exceptional subject of water, drapery, and human form.
The purifying force of the Ganges confers upon it a spiritual and religious significance greater than any other river; according to Hindu religion the Ganges is said to flow from the hair of of the god Shiva. For a devout Hindu, it is immensely important to bathe in the Ganges and people often save money for years, if necessary, to make the voyage possible.
Drapery is present in most of my paintings, and I love the color, light play, and compositional opportunities it offers. In European painting, drapery was often the way painters could introduce vivid colors and link together elements in their compositions, while symbolically evoking a certain spirituality.
Water is another exciting subject in painting. It can be quiet and soothing or majestic and spectacular. When we look at it closely it creates abstract forms and reflects a myriad of colors. The junction between the water and the sky can create a sense of depth so that the eye plunges into the painting.
The women in this painting were not together in reality; I found them in different places and worked them into my composition. In the close-up of the main character you can see I enjoyed painting the little droplets of water that rolled down her face and hands, and tried to capture the importance and gravity of the moment for her.
