Bodies of Water by Amy West

©2025 Amy West. Please do not use image without permission from artist.

33″ x 36″
Acrylic on Canvas
In Collaboration withKaren McShane-Hellenbrand, M.F.A., Faculty Associate, Dance Department, University of Wisconsin -Madison

In my art, I find a lot of my inspiration in the human figure, and enjoy trying to capture the energy in its movement in a singular moment of time. When studying McShane-Hellenbrand’s beautiful choreography, I was captivated by the way the dancers’ gestures and poses embodied the physical flow patterns and ever-changing emotionality of water. Water is a life-sustaining force, which we as humans are mostly made up of, and to me it represents the circulation of energy and feeling. It is peace, and power, depending on the moment. My series sets out to capture humans’ unbreakable connection to nature through water and the spiritual flow within, through dynamic poses found in—and inspired by—McShane-Hellenbrand’s work and depictions of unique states of water to match the expressiveness of each pose. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

blue water drop graphic

Amy West

ABOUT THE WATER PARTNER

Karen McShane-Hellenbrand

MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM