The First River Mermaid

This is one of my first mermaids—and the painting that began an entire series.

The idea came to life when Malevich, an art materials brand I have long admired, invited me to create an image for the cover of their watercolor paper. I already knew the people behind the brand and appreciated their generous support of the art marathons we had organized, so this collaboration felt especially meaningful to me.

At that time, I had already begun thinking about folklore and how it could be explored through watercolor. Their invitation arrived at exactly the right moment. Everything seemed to come together naturally.

I created several versions, and this was the image they chose. It can now be seen on one of their watercolor paper pads.

This painting also became the beginning of my mermaid series—and the first of my river and lake mermaids. Sea mermaids, after all, have an entirely different atmosphere.

For me, freshwater mermaids belong to quiet reeds, deep green water, mist, wildflowers, and the mysterious stillness of lakes and rivers.