Yasu Matsuoka is a self-taught Japanese artist, who creates beautiful mermaid and mythology-themed art. He creates art for a variety of spaces varying from private collectors to art galleries to interior design installations.
Honored by Yasu Matsuoka
Yasu Matsuoka’s digital illustrations are so unique, because they tell a story of his own imagination. His passion for fantasy worlds, mermaids, and stories is apparent in his work.
You’re instantly drawn to the world he’s created with its vivid colors and exquisite details. The juxtaposition of his pieces are reminiscent of classical paintings.
Mermaid Transformation by Yasu Matsuoka
Yasu Matsouka also known as Yasu Art Studio on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter has gained a large following for his awe-inspiring fantasy art.
I highly recommend that you follow him. You won’t shell-gretic it!
Kaysha Siemens was born and raised in Canada, and currently resides in the state of North Carolina, USA. She is a very talented artist and illustrator, whose main mediums are graphite and oil.
Her style is unique and full of exquisite detail. Kaysha’s figures are flowing and fluid, while her backgrounds are linear and structured. This style gives Kaysha’s art balance and pulls you into her work!
Kaysha’s main source of inspiration is Greek Mythology. Her MNEMOSYNE collection is a compilation of all of her works inspired by the Greek Mythologies. MNEMOSYNE is the Greek Goddess of memory and the Mother of the Greek Muses. The Greek Muses were connected to the arts and to knowledge.
Kaysha’s art and illustrations showcases an array of monsters, gods, goddess, NEREIDS (mermaids), and TRITONS (mermen).
According to Greek Mythology, the water nymphs were subcategorized into three kinds of species. The OCEANIDS resided in the sea, NEREIDS lived in freshwater and seawater, and the NAIADS lived in springs, lakes, and rivers.
Commissioned Mermaid Illustration by Kaysha Siemens
Kaysha’s mermaids are straight out of a fairy tale. In fact, none of her mermaids are identical. They’re unique and have their own personality in their own little under the sea havens. Each mermaid is full of elaborate details, such as their hair and intricate tails. Her work is as compelling as a mermaid luring a sailor out at sea, singing her euphoric song!
Kaysha Siemens is definitely an artist to follow and she’s currently open for commissions!
Siren premiered on FreeForm on March 29th, 2018 to rave reviews for showcasing the first polyamorous mermaid romance on the small screen.
Siren tells the story of young mermaid, Ryn (Eline Powell) who is searching for her sister Donna (Sibongile Mlambo) in the coastal town Bristol Cove. Bristol Cove is the mermaid capital of the world for its strong connections to the mythical creature.
Upon Ryn’s arrival, she meets Ben Pownall (Alex Roe) and his girlfriend Maddie Bishop (Fola Evans-Akingbola), who are marine biologists. They find Ryn enthralling and want to help Ryn find her sister.
Ben’s friends Xander (Ian Verdum) and Calvin (Curtis Lum) tell him about how they had caught a mermaid on their fishing boat and believe that the US Government stole her from them. At first, Ben thinks their talk is gibberish and doesn’t believe their story, yet
It doesn’t take long for Ben to discover that Ryn is a mermaid and seeks the help of town historian and mermaid enthusiast Helen Hawkins (Rena Owen). Helen warns Ben that even though Ryn is very beautiful, she is also very dangerous and her instinct is to kill her prey.
Helen also takes the liberty to tell Ben that his family history in Bristol Cove is connected to mermaids and that it’s not all good. The Pownall family was responsible for a mass genocide of mermaids centuries ago and hints that she, herself, might be related to him. Ben leaves Helen’s with more questions then answers.
Ben and Maddie, soon find themselves falling for Ryn in ways that they had never imagined before.
Siren explores the dark secrets of the Pownall family and how it’s connection to mermaids. The show also pushes the envelope, when it comes to the traditional mermaid mythologies. The mermaids on Siren may look sweet, but they are dangerous, predatory creatures who are much smarter then the average human.
Siren was a compelling show that had 3 very successful seasons. The show officially marked it’s end in Spring 2020.
From 1965 to 1967 women dressed as mermaids on the coral reef in the middle of the Submarine Lagoon at the Disneyland Resort in California. Photo Credit: Disney.
The Walt Disney Studios have always had a long time fascination with mermaids and Disneyland is no exception. The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California opened it’s gates on July 17th, 1955. It was the only park to be designed and built to completion, with direct supervision, by the company’s founder Walt E. Disney.
In 1959, when the Submarine Voyage opened at the Disneyland, there were two attractions, there were eight mermaids selected to be apart of the festive celebration.
So how did Disney find such beautiful mermaids for their lagoon?
Prior, to the opening in June, there was an open casting call to find female swimmers with long hair. The auditions were held at the Disneyland Hotel swimming pool.
From 1965 to 1967 women dressed as mermaids on the coral reef in the middle of the Submarine Lagoon at the Disneyland Resort in California. Photo Credit: LIFE Magazine.
The lucky girls, who got hired as mermaids, practiced at the Disneyland Hotel pool, before they were given their tails and were allowed access to swim in the park. They were also paid $45 a week, which was a lot for that time.
A few weeks, prior to the June opening, the girls selected to be mermaids at the park, practiced in Submarine Lagoon. They were surrounded by construction, as the Matterhorn was being constructed, as well as the final touches for Submarine Lagoon. They were warned, to keep their distance from the submarine, since there was no barrier.
When the Submarine Lagoon did open in June, the mermaids would safely swim around the submarine, giving guests a jaw dropping and memorable experience underwater and above the surface. The mermaids would perform tricks, such as flips and turns with their tails. Their costumes consisted of a starfish top and a beautiful neoprene tail.
Guests, could also see the mermaids aboard the monorail, that transported park guests from the Disneyland Hotel to Disneyland.
From 1965 to 1967 women dressed as mermaids on the coral reef in the middle of the Submarine Lagoon at the Disneyland Resort in California.
As part of the design of the lagoon, there was rock, that would provide warmth for the mermaids, since the water was 55-degrees and was freezing cold. The rock, became the hangout spot for the mermaids to warm up in the sun and chat amongst themselves. It was also a great spot for guests to see a breathtaking scene of mermaids lounging in the sun.
Unfortunately, the mermaids at the lagoon, were shut down, due to ongoing safety concerns and regulations.
As someone, whose a Disney Parks enthusiasts and a lover of all things mermaids, it must’ve been so magical to witness those mermaids at Disneyland.
The village of Mikladalur on the island of Faroe Island of Kalsoy, a territory of Denmark
On the Faroe Island of Kalsoy, a territory of Denmark, there is a small village, called Mikladalur. In Mikladalur, there is a legend about a young farmer who falls for a Kópakonan or selkie and how he tricks her to be his wife.
Legend has it, that a young farmer grew up listening to stories about the selkies, so he decided to wait for them to come to land, to see if the stories were true.
Every year, on the 13th night of the year, the selkies are permitted one night on land, where are permitted to go to land and have fun.
The young man watched in astonishment, as the selkies swam in a large group towards the rocks in a great magnitude. They shed their skin (sealskin/pelts) on the rocks, and they appeared to be normal human beings. The selkies frolicked and danced on the shore and the young farmer was mesmerized, by what he was seeing. The selkies, did in fact exist, and they were enchanting.
For a selkie, their sealskin or pelt, was what made them what they were. It was apart of them, as much as the ocean was. Steal or possess their skin and you possessed them.
One beautiful selkie, in particular, caught the young farmer’s attention, so he snuck up, and stole her sealskin.
Statue of Kópakonan or Selkie in Mikladalur, on the Faroe Island of Kalsoy was raised in August 2014
As the sun, began to rise, the selkies began to gather their sealskins and retreated back to the sea. That is, all for one. The selkie, whose skin was stolen by the young farmer, couldn’t find hers and she panicked, since she could smell it, but couldn’t find it. It was then, that the young farmer, came out from where he was hiding, holding her skin. She begged and pleaded for him to give her her sealskin back, but he refused and made her return to his farm with him.
He married the selkie and she had several children with him. To guarantee that the selkie would be his forever, he locked away her sealskin in a chest, so she couldn’t return to the sea. The chest was locked with a key, which he kept on him at all times, on his belt.
One day, the man forgot his key, when he went on a fishing trip with his friends. He was devastated, at the realization, that his selkie wife would return to the sea. He cried to his fellow fishermen, “Today my wife shall lose my wife!”-the man explained the story to the men, and they took him back to shore. He was distraught to see that his children were abandoned and that his wife was gone.
Statue of Kópakonan or Selkie in Mikladalur, on the Faroe Island of Kalsoy was raised in August 2014
His wife went to the shore, with her sealskin and dove into the water. In the water, waiting for her, was a bull seal, who had waited many years for her return, for he had loved her very much. The children, she had with the Mikladalur man, went to the shore and a seal prevented them from entering the water. It is believed that the seal who stopped them, was their mother.
Many years had passed, since the Mikladalur man had seen his selkie wife. He was planning to go with the other Mikladalur men on a seal hunting excursion in the caverns. One night, his selkie wife, came to him, in his dreams. She warned him, not to kill the large bull seal for he was her husband and not to kill two seal pups for they were her sons. She described their skins to the man, so he would know, what they looked like and know not to harm them. The man woke up, not taking the warnings in the dream seriously and went to the caverns with his friends to hunt seals. They killed the bull seal and the two seal pups and divided the bounty amongst themselves.
Statue of Kópakonan or Selkie in Mikladalur, on the Faroe Island of Kalsoy was raised in August 2014
That evening, as the man cooked head of the bull seal and the flippers of the seal pups over a large fire, the seal woman appeared in the form of a terrifying troll. She was mortified when she saw the head of her husband and limbs of her children. She yelled and cursed to the farmer in her grief, “Here lie the head of my husband with his broad nostrils, the hand of Hárek and the foot of Fredrik! Now there shall be revenge, revenge on the men of Mikladalur, and some will die at sea and others fall from the mountain tops, until there be as many dead as can link hands all round the shores of the isle of Kalsoy!”
Shortly after placing her petrifying curse, she vanished, and there was thunder. She was never seen again. The eerie part though, is that every once in a while, men of Mikladalur are drowned at sea or fall of the cliffs. It is unknown, if this is related to the curse of the selkie, but its an eerie coincidence to say the least.
In August 2014, a statue of Kópakonan or Selkie was raised in Mikladalur, on the Faroe Island of Kalsoy, in honor of the legend. The statue can withstand 13 meters of waves.
Remarkably, in 2015, there was a terrible storm and the statue was able to withstand a 11.5 meter wave. The statue remained firm and there was no damage whatsoever.
The statue of Kópakonan is as strong as the Kópakonan herself.
