Mermaids

I’m so excited! I found out a little early but my two mermaid dolls were accepted by the jury for the “Mermaids and Merwomen in Black Folklore” exhibit. For me it’s a big deal because I’ve never been part of a national exhibit. 

My mermaids are not traditional. Before I began their design, I imagined the story that they would tell me. Who were they, where did they come from, how did they become mermaids, when did they live what kind of lives did they live. I usually go through this same process with every doll I design. I didn’t want either of my mermaids to be just pretty girls with “fishy” tails that just floated around in the water. I wanted them to have strong characters with a purpose. Once I imagined their characters, the dolls seemed to come easy.  Their “spirits” gave me all of the details about what they should look like. Since the theme of the exhibit is based on Black History, legends and folktales it was easy to give my imagination free reign.