Mermaid

When I drew the sketch for this, I had intended for it to be Melusine. Like most of my paintings lately, this one went in a different direction. Melusine is a fresh water spirit, whereas this creature clearly resides in the sea (to me, anyway... A couple of people have suggested otherwise). I didn't have a particular background in mind when I drew it, so I just painted what felt right at the time, just moving the paint around to see what patterns would emerge, and then defining them a little.

Oil paints on canvas, 18x14 inches.