I have always been fascinated by stories of mystical creatures and mermaids are no exception.  In the fall of 2021, I took a workshop with Tasmanian doll artist, Sue McMahon, and with a few tweaks to the body pattern and the sculpting, the end result was a mermaid that I named " Calysta".   I enjoyed the process of creating the doll that I envisioned creating a series of such dolls.  Why the title "Sea Maids & Sirens"?  Well, in my "Merworld", sea maids are gentle beings, who are more inclined to venture close to coastal areas and pose no threats to humans, in fact, they are very timid and prefer to observe rather than be seen.  Their cousins the sirens, on the other hand, are the reputed enchantresses of the deep, out to lure mortals to their doom.  While that may be the case for some unlucky individuals, my sirens are not necessarily that evil or aggressive.  Each has her own traits according to her 'totem'. which are the sea creatures depicted on their bodies.  

​

Heads and shoulder plates are sculpted in paper clay overlaid with fabric and mounted onto muslin bodies.  The crowns are created from assorted sea shells and coral salvaged from items found at rummage sales.  The great thing about wall dolls is that they are so easy to display as art.