La Sirena - the Mermaid

Slip stream quick sliver sure, The Mermaid of the Sea of Cortez glides thru her forest of kelp and coral reefs. She is friend and guardian to the sea life in her home.

Folk tales of fantasy have always attracted me. Mermaids, dragons, elves and unicorns - magical beasts and beings.

I always felt that everything has a spirit. Trees, rivers, wind. The ocean must have its guardians too. La Sirena that lives in the Sea of Cortez is the color of her consorts, the garibaldi. Though her home is the kelp, she is connected to everything that happens - she can feel the happiness, pain, fear, joy of those living in her home.

This is a reverse glass painting, 16x20". There is more silver and gold than is shown in the painting. Tiny silver sardines gleam and surround her as she speaks to a butterfly angel fish.

Moon jelly fish float overhead and a ray glides off into the distance. Golden sea turtles slip through the colorful coral with their entourage of tiny yellow angelfish.

I Never get tired of looking at this painting.

Sea of Cortez

Although I like to paint, I also get inspiration from other sources. Often it is a combination of colors, textures, sounds, stories etc. all from unlikely sources not even related to what I do. But something clicks in my brain and I enter everything in one of my journal sketchbooks for later.

There is a book called The Girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley who's story has haunted my memories for years. The story is a simple one, yet the images conjured up by the story and my imagination have manifested into paintings of mystical mermaids, beings and magical places in the sea.

After only two exhilarating snorkeling experiences I felt drawn to the sea. So I paint and draw through DVDs, books and zoo observation until I can go again!

Here are a few playful seals, and a mysterious mermaid in graphite miniatures - size 3" x 4". There is also a Kelp mermaid and a magical sea turtle in my reverse glass painting albums.