Who Will Win the Golden Key?

Title: Who Will Win the Golden Key?
Medium: Acrylic
Genre: Animals, Fantasy
Size: 5x7 inches

The fish thinks he's got a good chance to take the key...but here comes the octopus. Now, what?

Sleeping Mermaid

Title: "Sleeping Mermaid"
Medium: Acrylic on panel
Size: 8x8 inches
Genre: Fantasy

Done from a live model at an art group session, and her dress just said "Mermaid!" to me, so I went with it.

Fish Story

Title: "Fish Story"
Genre: Animals, Fantasy
Size: 5x7 inches
Medium: Acrylic on panel

The big fish is splaining something to the little fish. The octopus has heard it all before.

Message in a Bottle

Title: Message in a Bottle
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 12 x 12 inches
Genre: Magic Realism, Fantasy

The fish are mystified at the writing on the message in the bottle. Little do they know it's only a game.
Note on the colors: I couldn't get this to scan the color accurately; the message in the original painting is more golden than orange. Cadmium orange does strange things on the scanner.

Drink Deep

"Drink Deep"
Genre: Still Life, magic realism
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 12x16

2nd Underwater Teacup

"2nd Underwater Teacup"
5x5 inches
Acrylic on wood panel
Genre: Fantasy, Still Life

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This conveys the idea of an ambiguous envirnment. Is it on land, or underwater? It also conveys the idea of delicacy, a porcelain teacup, and soft sea creatures. Strong, yet vulnerable.

Sea Shanty

"Sea Shanty"

Size: 24x30

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Genre: Fantasy

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Rapunzel underwater

sang as mermaids do.

A shining seahorse drew her 

from her shanty of a tower,

and when the pair took flight,

morphed into a stately knight,

because she asked him to.

This one combines a trip to the Terlingua Ghost Town with of my love of underwater scenes. Terlingua is in the Big Bend area of Texas, and parts of that desert landscape were once under sea many eons ago. The Ghost Town has many fascinating adobe houses in various states of decomposition-- one of which particularly caught my eye and ended up in this painting. Also shown are the desert mountains in the background. The dark areas in this painting will form a vague shape similar to the state of Texas if you squint your eyes and use your imagination.

What do desert and ocean have in common? Perhaps it is that they are teeming with life forms not usually seen unless you go looking for them, and that there is a sense of vast expanse experienced in both environments.

I started this painting back in 2014 and only now came back to finish it-- life had intervened; there was caregiving for a beloved family member, the Hospice time, and the aftermath of tying up all the loose ends that people leave behind. 

Partial Knowledge

"Partial Knowledge"
Medium: Acrylic on stretched canvas
Size: 9x12

The Fish is curious about the key, but if he swallows it, it won't do him any good, and being metal he probably isn't interested in eating it. Meanwhile the Seahorse is studying the keyhole, but his snout isn't going to unlock it. Perhaps the Octopus will help them out.

I wasn't sure about the title, but this is good enough for the time being.

Watermark is NOT on the original painting. I've recently started putting subtle watermarks on my work, to help with marketing. And with other things.

The Neried

Title: "The Neried"
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 18x24
Genre: Fantasy
©Theresa Taylor Bayer

NFS


Description: A Neried contemplates her underwater life, surrounded by sea creatures. The fish going after the key symbolizes the quest for knowledge that may come at a price. The octopus symbolizes worldly concerns such as career, wealth, and lifestyle, since octopi are very intelligent and flexible. The seahorse symbolizes fun and childlike curiosity.

Moonfish

Inspired by Daily Paintworks "Moon" challenge. I love portraying the Moon, especially a crescent moon. In this one I was trying for some visual puns, with the night sky in the shape of a big fish, and the clouds in the shapes of more sea creatures. Signed on upper left corner. 6x6 inches, acrylic on wood panel.

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Friends With Fins

"Friends With Fins" 12 x 12 inches. Medium: acrylic on canvas. Genre: fantasy. Our lovely model in Friday painting studio was studying marine biology, so I thought it would be fun to portray her as a mermaid. I painted the fishes from some little plastic sea creatures that I received as a gift.
SOLD.

Seahorse Keyhorse, Octopus Locktopus

"Seahorse Keyhorse, Octopus Locktopus" 20x16 inches, acrylic on stretched canvas, genre fantasy. Story behind it: I used plastic toys for the sea creatures, and a lifedrawing for the mermaid. Took me 6 months to paint this thing. I got obsessed. From now on I'm not going to be as perfectionistic.

NFS

Deep Waters

Will the fish be able to unlock this heart? Maybe the octopus can help.
"Deep Waters" 8x8 inches, acrylic on panel. Genre: animals
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