Mermaid Greeting!

I also - a while ago - posted a doodle of a mermaid from my sketchbook ('In The Studio', http://mairintajcaya.blogspot.com/2012/05/in-studio_17.html).

It was something fun I ended up re-working from a series of mermaid gestures farther back, which then evolved into a slightly more engaging concept revolving around greeting cards sending off even to fantastical recipients. I made the carrier of the message a gannet bird, partly because they are sea-fairing, coastal birds, and partly because I am quite fond of them.
It was simple experimentation and entertainment. And I uncovered yet another piece of the creative puzzle through working on it.

But there is so much more coming out of it! To be continued, shortly...

Here are some process photos I took while exploring the painting, then the finished piece, followed by a few detail crops.

Sketchbook and painting, in the studio, 2012.

Building and figuring, Watercolor, 2012.

'Mermaid Greeting', Completed, Watercolor, 2012.

Gannet Detail, 2012.

Tail Detail, 2012.

Comments are welcome.

 New sketches, character portraits, and painting processes to come!