Selkie splash

I'm finishing up my entry about selkies for the bestiary. This guy has been one of my favourite creatures to draw and paint. There's something really fun about drawing a seals sleek shape along with the splashing water. Working on the Selkie and spending more time on the water even inspired a poem and cartoon for the Edinburgh Blue Balls. 

I actually made this first painting last summer. I went for a bit of a wander to Leith Links and sat under a willow tree to enjoy the day and enjoy flights of fancy. I wanted to test out my new travel water colour set and brush pens. From that experimentation this guy sprang onto the page!

In the bestiary Merlin describes the selkie as:

Selkie tramp stamp

"In their natural form they resemble a seal but are vivid blues, azures and greens. They have the most magnificent markings on their backs. At first glance they appear to be stripes, however, on closer inspection they prove to be densely gathered intricate spirals patterns. They have long flowing hairs on the tops of their heads and an internal glow that illuminate under the water. While on an evening dip it is quite a show to see a group of selkie lights streaking beneath the water. 
 
"When in human form they look just like any other aside from their pelt markings which remain around their lower backs."

The selkie's human form and their back tattoos were actually inspired by someone I knew. He was quite possibly the nicest, most loyal, kind hearted and unassuming person you could ever meet. But he had a massive lower back tattoo! It was such a shock it was indeed like finding out he was actually a mythical creature in disguise. 

When settling on a look for the selkie in its native form I stuck mainly to the features of a seal. I did explore other aquatic mammals to see if there were any features I could borrow to give the selkie a proper other worldly feeling. But, I realised that for it to truly be a selkie it needed to be as seal-like as possible. So besides big ol' purple eyes and some funky colours it's all seal.

However, one of my favourite drawings is of a walrus-like being. I was envisioning what a dying shapeshifting creature might look like, melting between two forms. This fella is a pretty sorry specimen and may not even be a Celtic creature! Perhaps they're some sort of sea spirit from Greenland or even further afield that got lost in a storm and ended up on the shores of Alba. Now in the (slightly) warmer climes they're struggling to maintain their form. It's a pitiable sight but beautiful in it's strangeness. 

Check out more from the Bestiary here!

• Haggis and wulver
• Eachy
• Giants giants giants
• Cat sidhe
• Gargoyles
• Chimaera
• Kelpie
• Dragons, sidhe (fairies), and trows

Hope you enjoy!
‽

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She sells seashell - a poem

A selkie by the North Sea

It started with a limpet shell.

I've always loved the water and after spending many summers on the waters of Connecticut studying marine life became a passion and joy. Then at the beginning of 2020 when I began The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron one of my imaginary alternative careers was to be a marine biologist. 

But, as many things do, it began to fade and I did less things with the sea. But, at the start of 2020 I began looking to the sea for help and healing. I'd known for a while that my spirit animal is a blue whale. And through meditating and focussing on that I found a sense of excitement and peace.

Through The Artist's Way I began dabbling in marine biology. As part of my artist's dates I would regularly walk to the ocean just to be on the water. I then began picking up shells taking them home and studying them.

The first shell I picked up was a limpet shell. And, in looking into it, I found that limpet teeth are made of the strongest substance on earth. Something about it gave me a sense of renewed strength in the need to be more tenacious. It told me that I was on the right track and encouraged me to get out to the sea more and more.

Over the next few months I made more and more trips to the sea and eventually a friend invited me to join the Edinburgh Blue Balls for one of their cold water 'dips'. It seemed mad to consider jumping into the freezing North Sea in April. But, I'd made a commitment to trying new things and, particularly, be in or around the water as much as possible. So, I put my money where my mouth is, put on a pair of budgy smugglers and jumped (well, walked slowly) in. 

I can't say it was magical. But, I was not only joining a group of sea dippers, I was joining a group that was founded to support men's mental health. It has been such a boon to my life. It was on my second or third dip when I had a situation that would normally have caused an extreme bout of anxiety, but I seemed to sail through it because I was too busy laughing and jumping through waves. I began to realise what a powerful effect the water and the group was having on me. 

So, one day as I was practicing my water colours before working on my bestiary, I decided to warm up with what I believed a Blue Balls selkie would look like. The picture turned out better than I imagined and it slowly began a cascade of thoughts that led to one of my most recent favourite poems.

I'm so glad I'm reconnecting with the water. Every time I visit the there's another adventure or new organism or bit of information to learn about. Best of all I get to jump in regularly with an incredible group of guys. 

And Venus Was His Name - photo by Schnapps Photo

Hope you enjoy!
‽

Buy 'Black Star' or 'Spirit Shear' on Amazon in the UK and US
Check out Themo on Twitter and Facebook