This piece was inspired by the Cirque show and a photograph taken by artist Lori Rase Hall of Chinese lanterns. It was a perfect addition to my Cirque series.

I was totally too late to enter this in the Cirque show but I had an opportunity to enter it in another juried. I originally had in minf to paint a watercolor piece but my materials deveoloped some problems.

So with 8 hours before the deadline, I decided to completely change directiions and paint my 3rd Cirque piece but it had to be with a medium that was ready for exhibit! The answer was acrylics. A medium I unsuccessfully used once. Fortunately the will to meet the deadline was very strong.

I focused on the whole atmosphere I wanted and gathered my thoughts on how I could execute my concept. The only thing based on an actual image were the tent and the lanterns in the background which I wanted to look theatrical. The rest I threw in things I knew and maybe things I've seen or imagined.

I am now eligible to write a book on "The Fastest Way to Learn How to Paint in Acrylics" :-)