Frida Kahlo as a Mermaid

I have admired Mexican artist Frida Kahlo for a long time. Frida demonstrated tremendous courage because of physical and emotional wounds. However... more

by Ilene Satala

Title

Frida Kahlo as a Mermaid

Artist

Ilene Satala

Medium

Painting - Oil On Canvas

Description

I have admired Mexican artist Frida Kahlo for a long time. Frida demonstrated tremendous courage because of physical and emotional wounds. However many people don’t know that Frida also had a very playful side to her nature, and this painting was created to celebrate this part of her character.

We see Frida as a mermaid, wearing her favorite black Mexican dress converted into fins and a mermaid torso, her lace blouse and famous red shawl gracefully draped around her arms. She holds her painter’s palette in one hand and her brushes in the other. She smiles at us with her famous ‘hand’ earring dangling down next to her chin.

There are lots of icons that represent different parts of Frida's paintings. I have had fun putting them in this work. She loved animals, so we have her famous green parrots on her shoulders. The deer she had at her home is peeking out of the forest of leaves and her tiny black dog sits next to her knees. She loved monkeys and had several as pets. We catch a glimpse of one hanging from a palm tree.

I painted this painting to celebrate Frida’s life and to remind us that we need to embrace the gift of life itself. Life is precious and Frida found a way, even through her pain, to find laughter, joy and delight in everything. Let’s meet our dreams with the same vitality and lust for life.

Uploaded

October 10th, 2012