Long before I knew what kind of artist I would become, I was drawing mermaids. I drew my first ones as a little girl, and over the years my work wandered through many subjects, styles, and ideas.

One thread kept returning: I was drawn to imagining Black people beyond the ordinary. As royalty, ancestors, goddesses, guardians, and beings who seemed to belong to worlds of their own.

Eventually, those two parts of my artistic life found each other.

Now I’m developing Abyssal Sentinels, a body of work centered on mysterious mermaids emerging from the darkness of the deep. I imagine them as ancient, watchful beings. Guardians, oracles, and ancestors. Alongside them, I continue to create smaller mermaid works and paintings from my Tribe series as my work continues to evolve.

At 58, I feel as though I have finally found the art I’ve been trying to make all along.