"The Ruby Slipper"

"The Ruby Slipper" is complete. When the monthly theme was announced, I knew I didn't want to paint just some fairy or witch wearing a ruby slipper. I thought about it and wanted to see something unexpected, and the mermaid idea came to me. Then there was a choice to make whether to go with a sad mermaid contemplating her lack of feet upon finding a ruby shoe OR with a happy one who stumbled upon something shiny and FUN. It didn't take me long to decide on the latter. The first pencil sketch was a sad (maybe mad and sarcastic) mermaid, the next three were the happy ones.

I also wanted to play with a bit of perspective, light, movement of water, floaty feel -- there's a lot of fun stuff to paint in water scenes. It's an opportunity to create a truly magical sight.

Well, this month's theme has been announced. It's "Abundance". The night before the announcement e-mail came, I had an image come to me right before I fell asleep that perfectly fits the theme. I'll most likely do some brainstorming, but it's always good to have a seed of an idea right off the start.