.mermaid battle.

This is not nearly as exciting as the title makes it sound.

Several years ago (read ten) my godmother asked me if I would create a painting for her. Of a mermaid. Based on a painting she'd seen in Key West, where she spends a lot of time. Being in a tizzy of post graduation triumph, I agreed - after all she's FAMILY.

 But then I moved to Missouri and started doing other things and really didn't want to go about repainting someone else's work. And I either got a reminder ot started inquiring out of guilt about what else she wanted in the painting - just a mermaid or...? And there was a list of different fish, which I promptly lost.

Finally last February I reupped and got the list of fish - which had grown exponentially into a list of fish and birds and trees and things, and my brain kind of died a little but I made a digital sketch which she approved (except could I add a guy on a boat) and then my brain died a little more.

Because that's a lot of stuff in a very large painting. And because everything I've been doing has been pretty abstract.
And I put it away again because it was too overwhelming.

And today I took the plunge - prepped the canvas, gridded it, laid out the "things," restretched re:boiling water, and I'm about to put on the first layer of this clear gesso I picked up today on a hunch.

And my plan is to post weekly updates until it's finished in order to keep myself on task.
Because I am overwhelmed.