“Mermaids Singing I”

Mixed media embroidery

“I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.”
from The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock by TS Eliot

Although traditionally mermaids represent dangerous seduction, they also seem to embody a certain innocence and childlike joy of movement, albeit in an environment alien to humans. Their beautiful and eerie songs call us to visit a place we cannot survive, and we envy their wildness and freedom. For me, they are symbols of freedom from restraint, beauty and natural sensuality – at least partly because I’ve never been a very good swimmer!

These two works are mixed media textile pictures of mermaids swimming with other creatures of the deep. These pieces display a range of techniques including hand-dyed grounds, screen printing, hand painting, foiling, machine embroidery and layering.

Neutral wood frame, ivory matt with lightweight plexiglas glazing.