Painted by Katy Kianush, Copyright © 2003
Description
In “Mermaid,” an award winning mixed media painting, Katy captures the otherworldly allure of a mermaid perched on a rugged rock, surrounded by a swirling sea. The mermaid’s intense gaze and flowing hair convey a sense of mystery, while the starry night sky adds a celestial quality, blurring the boundary between reality and fantasy. Katy’s use of acrylic relief paints, freshwater pearls, Japanese textured paper, semi-precious stones like peridot and lapis lazuli, beads, and real shells creates a rich, layered effect that draws the viewer into the mermaid’s enchanting world.
This careful combination of materials adds texture and depth to the painting, enhancing the visual impact while evoking the timeless essence of the mermaid legend. The tactile quality of the work, with its mix of natural elements, mirrors the mystical and elusive nature of the mermaid herself. Katy’s piece reflects a delicate balance between the allure of the unknown and the grounding reality, offering a momentary yet intense connection between the viewer and the mermaid’s world. The painting invites contemplation of the tension between the fascination with the mysterious and the inevitable return to reality, echoing themes found in T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.”
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
I do not think that they will sing to me.
I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black.
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.T.S. Eliot
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
Key Facts
Title
Artist
Date
Medium
Framed Size
Award
Mermaid
Katy Kianush
2003
Mixed Media
77.5cm H by 62.5cm W
Winner of the First Prize at the Wessex Artists Exhibition, 2005
Copyright shall at all times remain vested in the Artist. No part of the work shall be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the Artist’s express written consent
