Goddess of the Sea

A few years ago I had to prepare my childhood home for sale. It required going through the process of sorting an abundance of furniture and other... more

by Ilene Satala

Title

Goddess of the Sea

Artist

Ilene Satala

Medium

Painting - Oil On Canvas

Description

A few years ago I had to prepare my childhood home for sale. It required going through the process of sorting an abundance of furniture and other household items. As I worked my way through the house from the bottom up, there in the attic I discovered some childhood drawings. I imagine I had been about five when I drew them, and I discovered that they were drawings of mermaids. Surprised and delighted, I realized that I had been creating mythic and fantasy themes for much longer than I had thought. Therefore, I set about researching the mythic legend of the Mermaid.

From my research I now know that the mermaid is a powerful symbol for all of us. The mermaid is half human, half fish. That makes it a divine creature, a blend of two species in one. The human half represents intelligence and ingenuity. The fish half is a symbol of spirituality. To be both means that we are looking at a being which is at home on the land of Earth (the physical realm) and in Water (the realm of the mind). Mermaids are also singers of powerful songs, collectors of treasures, and prone to rescue capsized victims of storms and other mishaps at sea.

This painting was inspired from my early connection to Mermaid lore. This is no ordinary Mermaid; she is the Goddess of all mermaids. She wears her many collected treasures, collected from both the world of humans and of the sea.

I also research the meaning of color and incorporate that symbology in the use of color in my paintings. With that in mind, I chose bright pink for her fish tail, because pink means love. The lotus flowers at her knees are symbolic of the power of Spirit, the power to rise to light, as does the flower from the depths of its base. Surrounded by blue water, she brings us the possibilities of finding our own treasures of life.

Mermaids, in some legends, are said to carry the power to grant wishes. So she comes to you as the Goddess to grant you wishes and to reveal treasures to your spirit. Enjoy the search!

Uploaded

January 13th, 2013