Shout Out: International Mermaid Museum

Marshelle Backes, August 16, 2022.

This is my first underwater painting and my first mermaid. The image was inspired by the idea that a creature existing primarily underwater would have certain adaptations.

I’m not one for producing predictable artwork. I tend to gravitate to familiar images but presented in an unusual way. The mermaid with the bikini top and pin-up girl look has already been done and done better than I could have ever done it. My exploration was to add something more indicative of life underwater and still keep the femininity that mermaids are famous for.

What I came up with was a segmented tail, like a crustacean with the soft, flowy fins of a Leafy Sea Dragon. Knowing that she is a mystical creature, it seemed natural that her hair should take on the look of waves at the ocean shore.

I recently visited the International Mermaid Museum after I finished this painting and learned that there are many legends from around the globe about mermaids with a wide variety of visual traits. I wondered if my mermaid may actually have a place in these legends. Turns out, that is true and I didn’t even realize it when I painted it.

The indigenous people of Australia have the legend of Yawkyawk, a mermaid creature that is half woman, half fish. She is a shapeshifter, capable to adding other animal features such as those found on dragon flies and crocodiles. After further research, I discovered the Timor Sea, a shallow, warm sea at the southern end of Australia. This seemed like the natural setting for her, as Leafy Sea Dragons are also from Australia. This inspired the name of the painting: The Timorian.

I finished the painting In July of 2022, then in August, I sent an email to the International Mermaid Museum to see if they would be interested in it, and the owners of the museum graciously and enthusiastically accepted my artwork. You can see this painting while sipping a cocktail made at their local distillery or enjoying a lovely meal at the restaurant or dine outside after taking a stroll through the acres of beautiful gardens. They are located at: 1 South Arbor Road, Aberdeen, Washington. Open from 11 AM to 6 PM. Phone: 360-310-4882. Email: info@mermaidmuseum.org.