Okay...

... I'm pretty pleased with this one.  I've always been partial to back poses and this one has a lot going for it.  Starting with the long hair draped over the shoulder, like a waterfall as it cascades into the waiting pool of cloth.  The design element alone always captivates me and it takes a lot of effort not to just doodle away with the strands of hair, Mucha-like.  The hair then strikes the tilted shoulders which create the beautiful mass of muscle, not much different than the rocks that make up a cliff face with all of the interesting shapes.  However, unlike a landscape that can be created by the capricious whims of nature, the muscles actually have a distinct purpose.  They create the large area of the back and fold into the hollow of the spine where the hip meets.  This is followed by the large mass of the buttocks which has a surprising number of shapes within it.  Sometimes I like to just throw a large, graceful line to create the shape but other times I like to show the various muscles that leave an undulating line, like small waves that roll in on one another.  This all leads to the legs which lead one out of the image and then quickly bring the eye back with the bend at the knee all ending in the graceful and incredibly complex foot.  Much like following the pool of water as it settles into the quiet surroundings of a mountain glade.  Why the comparison of a human figure to a landscape?  I dunno, maybe because I always feel the need to justify not being a landscape artist to so many people.  Maybe because to the general public I feel that figurative art is not appreciated for what it is, a very beautiful form of expression.

  Or maybe I'm just full of it.