In the final thin surface and its illusion of depth, one can no longer speak separately of fabric and paint. (haberarts.com)
But still, what is it about abstract painting reduced to a (almost) single color, small in size, with exposed canvas and a relatively thin surface? (somewalls.com)
Only a very thin surface layer of the water can radiate since as you correctly point out IR doesn't penetrate through water. (joannenova.com.au)