Blending In: Painter Creates Stunning Landscapes On Human Canvass

By Rebecca Lewis @Rebecca Lewis

AT FIRST glance the blue waters look like a perfect postcard – but on closer inspection the landscape is a painting on a naked body.

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Despite the laborious process, the paint washes off immediately

The woman lies flat on her back, one arm by her side and the other protecting her modesty as the colourful water scene is painted on her pregnant belly.

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A model is transformed into a horse - on the lower half of her body
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Green Goddess: Gesine paints animals, landscapes and patterns on her models

Gesine Mardewel, from Dortmund, Germany, paints horses, eagles and fantastical landscapes using the naked body as her unusual canvas.

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Each model has to pose perfectly still to complete the painting

Each painting can take up to seven hours to create – and some of the more complicated pieces can take 12 hours to complete.

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A colourful interpretation of a human skeleton

The 27-year-old, who works full-time as a speech therapist and paints on weekends, said: “I have been bodypainting for about five years now. I have been painting on canvas since before I could hold a pen but I’ve never taken any course or workshop in painting or body-painting.

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Each painting can take up to five hours to complete
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Gesine paints as a hobby and has never taken a class

“In contrast to painting a canvas, during body painting you have a 3D canvas, that is living, breathing and moving.

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Gesine works on a number of models, including those expecting
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Intricate designs using an array of colours is painted on the model

“But despite the difficulties I like the living art, because I can talk to my canvas, and make the model happy.

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Branching out: The paintings can take on a fantastical theme

“It is always great to see, how the models transform into something else and how they love it.”