The Art of Ecstasy

Tabitha was equal parts excited and nervous. She checked her reflection in the tall window outside The Snowe gallery/mansion. It was a hot day and and the walk up from the parking area had produced a light sheen of sweat over her. Thankfully someone had set up a small table with iced cucumber water under the awning just outside the entrance. Everyone was having a glass as they waited to be admitted inside.

She looked at others. As an artist she spent a lot of time people-watching. She'd study them and try to guess their inner life and speculated how to translate that into her art. Such an unusual mix. She recognized almost everyone from previous visits to the gallery, but she'd never seen them all gathered at the same time. From a pure physical and demographic point of view, no two looked like they would have anything in common. She was probably the youngest, or perhaps second youngest. There was another girl, Willow, about her age, but she was very slight, like a fashion model only not as tall. Tabitha was far from model material herself. She barely topped five foot and her body was more, "generous" as her mother would say. Certainly more polite than being told she had big boobs and giant ass.

Tabitha wasn't the thickest among this crowd though. Samual was pretty hefty. With his white beard he probably could play Santa in a few years, thought Tabitha. Currently there was his filthy fishing tackle box on his lap which Tabitha knew contained his very particular charcoals. Of all the people she'd become with acquainted with from Snowe House, he was the closest. Occasionally they'd get together outside of Snowe events, frequenting museums or other galleries. He was quite an accomplished sketcher and his house was filled with the nudes he'd done over the years. Tabitha thought he had a bit of a crush on her. She'd let him sketch her face, but she was quite embarrassed when he expressed his desire to sketch her nude. She was still shy around her infrequent lovers. Even during sex she'd keep her bra on and even then she tried to hide things under the covers. She couldn't imagine having this old man sketch her in the light of day. It was still sweet that he'd asked though.

Marcus was here. He was a very handsome young man she'd seen at some of Emma's other gallery events. He could be a model too. Very muscular with a handsome face and with deep dark skin. She blushed slightly. What would it be like viewing and participating in this special exhibit next to him? She'd spoken to him briefly, but she was really too shy to engage in anything more than small talk.

The invitation she received was beyond cryptic. "The Art of Ecstasy: An Interactive Exploration Into the Aesthetic of Pleasure." Usually an invitation from the Snowe gallery was just a single page affair with the usual disclaimers restricting photography, on-line sharing, or the occasional update to the NDA. This invitation though. Pages and pages of TOC, signatures, legal disclaimers, etc. etc. Tabitha just scrolled though and agreed to whatever because of the wondrous lure in this invitation. She was being invited to participate, create and display, not just appreciate.

At first she thought the invitation was some sort of mistake. As an artist she had near nothing worthy to her name. Her best showing was at a beach cafe, but only then they hung her acrylic nudes because her friend owned the place. All of her money had been coming from omissions over the internet. As an artist, Tabitha discovered, you can make pretty good bank from creating some pretty lewd stuff. Recently she'd been creating paintings for some dude who wanted pictures of sleeping naked women. He'd send her detailed descriptions about what he wanted. What they should look like, where they fell asleep, what angle they were viewed at. Tabitha had done a whole series of these, and while pornographic in nature, they were actually quite good in her humble opinion. Tabitha had a strong eye for anatomy and understood the nature of light. A few of these paintings almost resembled Rembrandt in their dramatic dark/light compositions. Except they were pictures of a naked woman asleep; specifically her.

Tabitha's anatomy skills were strong because she used her own anatomy as her model. In addition to being painfully shy about her nakedness around other people, she was equally awkward about other people's nudity. In life drawing classes she continually found herself looking away from the model; not only out of embarrassment, but also because she would continually find herself getting aroused and distracted.

When she first started receiving these commissions on her website Tabitha would hunt down nude pictures on the internet to serve as models, even though she felt this was slightly unethical. The thought of using a live model was too distressing so eventually she got the idea in her head to set up her digital camera and use herself as a model. The body type that her patron described matched her own body pretty closely, so she would arrange herself into the poses he requested and would paint from that image.

Tabitha didn't hate her body. She just felt uncomfortable in it around other people. But there was something very liberating about taking her own nudes and creating art from them. Tabitha's ritual was to set up the camera and then start recording video of her pretending to sleep. She'd never admit it, but it started to really turn her on. She would get into the sleeping position her patron requested and then relax her body as if she was asleep. There was something about having the camera record her that she found thrilling; she felt like an exhibitionist. She would often imagine that her patron was watching her through the camera and she pictured him masturbating to her sleeping form. She found herself getting so aroused that she would masturbate as well. Very often after her orgasm she would find herself falling into a deep, actual sleep. Sometimes she'd wake up hours later, her digital camera still rolling. As she reviewed the footage of her laying down, masturbating and falling asleep, she'd often get aroused all over again and have to pleasure herself again. She also discovered in reviewing the footage that she would often masturbate in her sleep! Sometimes she'd use those stills; her hand between her legs as the model for her work, even when not requested by her patron. He was always thrilled by those portraits and paid well for them on top of the work he requested.

Tabitha was actually kind of shocked at how horny she'd become since taking on this work. The work was extremely erotic and also very authentic. After she'd come and fall asleep she could often see her wetness running down from between her legs. And having footage of her actually asleep, completely drained, made for some fantastic art pieces. She'd transfer all the footage to her computer and then find the right still to paint. Very often her painting would be interrupted by very vigorous masturbation sessions as she would fantasize about a lover being driving mad with lust by her naked sleeping form and then inserting himself (or sometimes herself) into her while she slept. When she masturbated during painting sessions she'd often break out the toys for that feeling of being penetrated and stuffed. Most of the poses requested did not involve showing her face so she wasn't particularly worried about being recognized, and in the few poses that did, she would alter herself enough to be unrecognizable. Unless someone had intimate knowledge of her body (and few did) they would never know it was her.

Tabitha looked around the gathering in front of the gallery and wondered if all these people had been chosen for their artistic endeavors. She spied someone else she recognized, though not from the gallery. Augusta Brair, a painter from New Mexico. She was pretty famous (or infamous) for her explicit nudes that she'd been painting for the past 50 years. Tabitha would never be in the same league with someone like her.

The other two people waiting outside were Tomo and Holly. They were chatting so perhaps they knew each other, though they looked like complete opposites. Tomo was very small. Perhaps shorter than herself. He was known for creating exquisite scroll pieces aka kakejiku, some of which had been shown at the Snowe Gallery. Holly who was not an artist, at least not that one that Tabitha was aware of, towered over him. Probably close to six foot. She looked like a porn-star. She had boobs like a porn-star, thought Tabitha. Tabitha had never really spoken with Holly, but she looked vaguely familiar. Maybe she had done a porno. Tabitha didn't watch a lot of porn, but occasionally she'd indulge with a boyfriend or that one girlfriend.

Tabitha sipped from her glass and was silently thankful for it again. She was thankful for every Emma Snowe had done for the arts community. This gallery was such a hidden treasure. It wasn't really a gallery, it was actually Emma's home which she generously turned into the most exclusive gallery in existence.

When Tabitha first heard the rumor about it, she thought it must be bullshit. This woman, who must be worth a billion, if not billions, just opens her house and allows strangers to view her art? It couldn't possibly be true. Emma thought about that first call she made, almost on a dare.

"Hello, Snowe House." The woman's voice was warm, but still had a no non-sense tone.

"Uh, yeah, Hi. My name's Tabitha. This might sound strange and if I've been mislead I completely apologize for wasting your time...but I heard Ms. Snowe has some impressionist art she's letting people view and I was wondering if I could arrange a time to see the collection. Again, I'm very sorry if I have incorrect information..."

"May I inquire as to how you received this information and this phone number?"

Tabitha's heart sunk. Uh oh.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry, I was at a party with some art school friends and..."

"No need to go on," the voice said. "These things happen, but we like to keep access to our collection to a very limited number of people. This number will no longer be available after today."

Tabitha felt awful.

"I hope I didn't get anyone in trouble, I-"

The voice cut her off. "We require a high degree of discretion from our patrons. Tell me Tabitha. Are you a discreet person?"

Tabitha hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the blunt question. "Yes. I can be very discreet."

"That's good to hear. You sound like someone who appreciates art, perhaps it's time we added someone to our roster," said the voice. "How is your schedule this week? We are having a small showing tomorrow at 2 and there is an opening for a single person. Would that be convenient for you?"

Tabitha arrived at the manor the next day and was admitted with a small group of people who she would be become well acquainted with. Almost all of them had been coming for years and they were surprised, but delighted to have a newcomer among them.

Janice, the mojo domo whom she'd spoken to on the phone, admitted them into the residence. Walking in, it was more like a museum than a house. The foyer felt like a lobby. Janice welcomed them all, and singled out Tabitha, introducing her to the rest of the group. She explained the rules of the house and showed Tabitha where to place her purse and phone. She also handed her a lengthy NDA which Tabitha skimmed over and signed. She also had Tabitha remove her shoes and don some comfy slippers.

Once everyone had put away there belongings, Janice lead them into them main gallery. It was as large as a ballroom and on every wall adorned some of the most famous works of impressionist art Tabitha had ever seen assembled in one place. For legal reasons, those works of arts cannot be named in this accounting.

The entire first floor of the Snowe House was laid out like a museum. Each room lead into another making a complete circuit. Aside from some of the very famous pieces there were other unknown works to be found. Tabitha found herself in awe of all of it.

One room contained a single wall-sized canvas of a particularly well known French impressionist piece. Tabitha sat down on the bench and gazed at it; taking it all in. It was so beautiful. She began to cry. She reached for her purse to find a tissue, but then remembered she'd put her purse in the cubby in the lobby.

Just then a hand snaked in from behind her with a handkerchief.

She took it and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you, I'm sorry, I'm just so moved by this it's..."

A hand laid firmly on her shoulder.

"Shhh..."said a soft feminine voice. "You don't have to put it into words. I know how you feel. Let it wash over you. Let the painting envelop you. It's meant to."

Tabitha stopped crying and took it all in. The colors; the shapes; the place it transported her to; she absorbed it all. The woman's other hand laid on her other shoulder and began to sway her about gently.

"Welcome to my gallery." said a soft voice next to her ear. "I always welcome someone who is unafraid to show their emotions about art."

Tabitha thought about turning around. This must Emma Snowe herself. But she thought better of it and just enjoyed the gentle swaying and art in front of her After a while the hands left her shoulders and she felt she was alone once more.

And so this was Tabitha's secret art pleasure for the past two years. About a month or so an email with a date and time and then a very selective viewing of some the most incredible art she'd ever seen; everything from the classics to the abstract. Occasionally there would be a screening of video art or performance pieces. Even the occasional classic film.

In the past year the Snowe gallery added a very modern touch by providing guests with stereo earbuds that would guide them through the gallery talking about the art works being displayed. For contemporary works the artists would often talk about the process or the background of the piece. But for other works, Emma would often narrate the journey herself. Tabitha was rather surprised when she received a pair of very high-end buds that came in a case engraved with her name on it.

Emma would start off each of her narrations with the same playful introduction: "Hello. This is Emma Snowe. Thank you for letting me enter your mind to to guide you through a wondrous journey."

Her narrations varied from the technical to the poetic. For one show of abstract works her narration become almost a meditation, repeated mantras and gentle instructions moving you through the galleries which ended inside the theater which played a looping abstract piece of throbbing colors that synchronized with soothing sounds in the ear pieces. Tabitha was so absorbed in this piece and the audio that she fell asleep in the comfy over-sized theater recliners. She was so embarrassed when she awoke to Janice gently stroking her arm to get her to wake up.

Tabitha visited the gallery almost every day during that abstract show (though she had to get special permission to visit so frequently.) She enjoyed the art, but mostly she enjoyed listening to the meditations that Emma narrated. She enjoyed entering the theater at the end of the audio tour and sinking into the chairs and then falling into a deep sleep every time. Coincidentally, while the abstract exhibit was at the gallery, she got her first commission for her 'sleeping nudes' series.

Falling asleep in the Snowe theater became a regular habit of Tabitha's and even became something of an inside joke between her and Janice. No matter what the exhibit was, whether it was mosaics, or Roman-Greco statuary, Tabitha would find herself in theater at the end and drift off to sleep listening to Emma.

"You must not be getting enough sleep at home!" joked Janice after waking her up again.

"Please don't be cross with me, Janice!," Emma replied. "There's just something about her voice...it's so soothing, it just makes me want to close my eyes for just a minute...and then the next thing I know you're waking me up! And it's not just me! I've seen you wake up other people!"

"Maybe you find Ms. Snowe's talks rather boring." Janice replied.

"No!" Emma exclaimed. "They're fascinating, it's just when we get into the theater...it's these damned recliners! They're too comfy! And then Emma talks about relaxing and reflecting..it just like my mind goes completely blank!"

As Tabitha was thinking about her experiences at the Snowe, the door opened and Janice appeared.

"Welcome everyone." she said brightly. "We are so glad you can make it. Please come in and we'll get started."

Tabitha finished the rest of her cucumber water and made her way in. Samual stood just behind her.

"Hello Tabby. I was hoping you'd be here today," he said, in a friendly but slightly lecherous way.

Tabitha smiled back at him. "Yeah, I'll bet you did. Do you have any idea what this show is? Has anyone seen it?"

"Not that I know of." he replied. "But you haven't talked to anyone about his have you? Didn't you read that NDA?"

"Kind...of" Tabitha replied sheepishly. "Is there something I should know?"

Samual laughed. "Probably...I mean, I didn't read it. I'd wager no one did."

The guests emptied their pockets and deposited their purses into the cubbies.

"What should I do with my supplies?" Samual asked Janice.

"Just leave them on the bench and we'll bring them to you when we're ready." said Janice. She turned to Tabitha. "Do you have some brushes with you?"

Now Tabitha felt really embarrassed she didn't read the invite more closely.

"Uh, I was hoping there were going to be some here I could use."

"Oh yes," said Janice. We have plenty of supplies. It won't be a problem. Here are your buds."

Janice handed Tabitha a small earbud case that had her name on it. On a tray she had cases for everyone and handed them out. Tabitha was glad they got their own buds. More hygienic And it made it her feel special. She always looked forward to hearing Emma's voice in her head. It was soothing and comforting. When everything else in her life might be going sideways, but she could always count on Emma's voice to take her to a special place. She placed them in her ears and turned them on. There was a soft hum playing that had an occasional 'bump' in it. Other than that, nothing.

Once everyone had their earbuds on, Janice addressed the group.

"On behalf of Emma Snowe and the Snowe Gallery, I'd like to welcome all of you today, for what promises to be an exhilarating show. This is the premiere of "The Art of Ecstasy: An Interactive Exploration Into the Aesthetic of Pleasure." and the lot of you will be the first to experience it. I applaud you all for your bravery and open-mindedness in undertaking this experience. I'm sure you read in the documentation some of what the experience entails."

Tabitha looked around. It was pretty clear that no one, save maybe for Augusta had read the documentation

"Now if you'll follow me into the theater, we will begin."

Janice opened the doors to the theaters and everyone shuffled in. The lights were low and the screen was black. The theater seated 20 people, so there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Tabitha took a seat near the front. She sat down, kind of nervous, but also kind of excited. She kicked her slippered feet up an down a bit, but then felt her seat begin to recline and the foot rest automatically begin to raise her legs.

A voice spoke to her through her ear buds.

"Good afternoon Tabitha. I'm glad you came." It was Emma. But she addressed Tabitha by name. She must have personalized the recordings for everyone, thought Emma. A nice touch.

Emma continued. "This is Emma. Thank you for letting me enter your mind to to guide you through a wondrous journey. Now I want you to relax and still your mind and I will guide you through this amazing experience. Relax your body."