Water.
It’s kind of important, right?
Take a look at a map, and you’ll see that a huge portion of it is covered in water.
71% of it, actually, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Fun fact too – 96.5% of that water is in the ocean.
And without water, you won’t last very long.
Your body is about 60% water – again, according to the US Geological Survey.
But different parts of your body have more water than others.
Your heart, for example, is about three quarters water, and your lungs are about 85% water.
Eat any fresh produce lately?
Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, watermelons, radish, lettuce, and celery are all over 90% made of water.
And think of the first phase of your life.
While you grew inside your mother, you were entirely surrounded by and submerged in water.
Water was your world, the entirety of your existence.
You knew nothing but water, darkness, and maybe some faint, muted sounds from outside.
One person describes a memory they have of being in the womb as like “being in some sort of dark encompassed cave that was extremely comfortable,” while another says “I remember warmth.
Closeness.
A sound that was always there, probably my mom’s heart beating.
A feeling that I would now interpret as being loved.
Knowing nothing but feeling safe.
It’s really weird.”
It’s no wonder so many of us find bodies of water so relaxing.
If you’ve ever spent a fun, relaxing day at the beach, you know what I mean.
The water encroaches on the shore.
Whether it gently laps at it or crashes down on it, it doesn’t matter.
Both can be enjoyable in their own way.
It reminds us of being in the womb.
The ebb and flow is like our mother’s breath.
Calming.
Relaxing.
It tickles at a memory we have of that feeling of being loved.
This is one of the reasons I love painting with water and using water-based themes as a Canadian fine artist.
And it’s not just about painting images of water.
You’ll see examples of that in my work, but it’s about so much more.
It’s accessing the calmness, the relaxation, that feeling of simply existing in a state of pure love that so many of us have such a hard time accessing after we leave the womb.
I use a lot of espresso in my paintings.
Take a look around my website – you’ll have a hard time getting through more than a few of my pieces before you find something done in espresso.
Part of the reason for that is the water that comes along with it.
I create a spot of water on the page and allow the espresso to take its own shape within that water.
It’s calming, soothing.
I do the same with the paint itself.
It brings me into a calmed meditative state.
For example, take a look at the video below.
I’m painting in the window of The Hudson’s Bay Company in the middle of downtown Toronto.
That just might be the single busiest, most frantic places in the entire country, and yet I managed to attain a meditative state thanks in part to the water I used in the painting.
Contact Francesco Galle
If you’re interested in fine art prints, I have a large number of them available on my website.
Take a look around – there are many different styles and sizes, so you can surely find one that fits your space.
I’m also available for commissioned work.
Feel free to contact me for a commission, or if you have any questions about what you see here.