Mermaids are so enticing and intriguing.
I don’t know why I started drawing these mermaids, lurking in the deeps beyond human sight, but I did.
All of these are drawn on a tablet, with the pencil option. I limited the palettes: cold green/blue hues for water and mermaid, warm tones of browns and yellows for everything in the air.
This was the first one I drew. I was intrigued at the story told by the boy’s feet dangling over the pier and the mermaid, her face just beneath the water’s surface. So much yearning, but of what type? What kind of hunger brings her so close to the oblivious child?
This 2nd drawing involves something else and makes me think there are 2 mermaids, and these, bluer ones with their attendants – something with large tentacles that remains unseen, are more threatening, not content to watch. This one is teasing, reaching out her hand to match the child’s as it reaches for the fallen cup. I would leave the cup alone, I think!
This 3rd one was very difficult. With these drawings, I was playing with the human form in various positions, and this one really took a lot of work. I am still not altogether happy with it – although it is more alien than the others, and the sense of threat it conveys is stronger. And she has broken the surface with one of her tail fins which has been seen by the child and adult on the pier. Danger, Will Robinson!!
And here – in the 4th drawing, she has broken the surface and the sense of threat is realized. She has grasped the child. What is going to happen here? She does not look threatening, it is her action. 
The story finishes there – for the moment. Instead of continuing it, I found there was the other mermaid, still just looking, and here, perhaps the child has seen her, she with her palm flat against the underneath of the surface. A reflection perhaps that the child can see. As with the very first of the mermaids, there are no tentacles here. There *are* 2 different mermaids. I am now also intrigued.
I suspect there will be more mermaids in later posts…
keiramckart 
I have loved mermaids ever since I can remember. I hope to get them included as an offical Trinidadian folklore character.
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I’m glad you like them. I think almost every culture that has something to do with the sea has mermaids o some descritpion in their mythological lexicon. But you have interested me – I must look up mythological tales of Trinidad!
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☺ It’s not very popular but it does exist. I grew up in fishing village (Las Cuevas) so I’ve heard stories about them from very young. I even wrote a book based on a story my grandfather told me.
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you need to write more books 🙂 How many have you written? And if you want mermaids illustrated – let me know 🙂 & what kind of stories? I’m in Australia which has interesting stories but as I’m not indigineous I only know my own tradition – Scottish. These are the selkies and not the ‘traditional’ mermaid. Haunting though.
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