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| THE MERMAID by Howard Pyle |
Mermaids have captured the hearts and imaginations of
men and women the world over. The bewitching sea creatures are found in every
culture and date back to ancient Greece, where archaeologist have found
bronze moldings of sea nymphs which are over three thousand years old.
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| Diego Fernandez's evocative mermaid |
Appearing
as both the heroine and villain in countless stories, mermaids run the gamut of
emotions, from beautiful seductress to powerful predator. Beneath all these
depictions lies a common thread: mermaids embody femininity in all its forms—from
the innocent child to the passionate woman. Mermaids symbolize the full
spectrum of the feminine, the light and the dark, its power and its mysteries.
To embrace the mermaid archetype is to embrace these traits within.
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| David Adam's scrimshaw |
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| Ulysses and the Sirens H.J. Draper |
When we design our mermaid jewelry we envision the
elusive fish-tailed beauties of ancient lore, who sing captivating songs to
lure sailors closer for a stolen kiss or to seal their doom.
We visualize longhaired
lovelies cavorting amongst the sea creatures—seals, seahorses, octopi and
dolphins.
We imagine the sleek, glistening scales of their undulating
tails as they dive the depths plucking pearls and treasures from the ocean
floors.
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| The Mermaid and the Dragon by Warwick Goble |
We picture them in small groups baking themselves on sea
cliffs and separating seaweed from their gleaming curls with combs of pearl
and bone.
We sense the ocean spray splashing on their warm
sunbaked skin, as the wind lifts their hair to reveal the laughter in their
eyes and the secretive smile on their lips.
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| John William Waterhouse |
We marvel at the powerful twist of their graceful bodies
before they dive from their perch.
Brief glimpses of exquisite faces charm us before
disappearing below the ocean surface and we can only stare at the rippling sea,
imagine what lies beneath and strive to capture it in metal, crystal and
enamel.
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| Mermaid of the Lighthouse |
The
illustrations accompanying this post are some of the many, which have inspired the
Kirks Folly vision of mermaids.
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| Sailor's Fairy Siren Pin/Enhancer |
Please share your thoughts on mermaids with us and visit our Inspiration Mermaid Pin-board here to see more of our mermaid inspirations.
Summer is coming, embrace your inner mermaid and…
SPARKLE THE WORLD!
Leave us a comment if you'd like a chance to win our June giveaway drawing. Click here for details.
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I was so excited to see that your blog entry this week is the mermaid, one of my most favorite themes. I especially love the Victorian Mermaid pictures. I wish that you would do a new expansion band watch with a mermaid on the face and if it was light up and water proof I would be beyond thrilled!! MUST be silvertone. Please?XO XO Bonnie (Silvercate)
ReplyDeleteI just love mermaids. I love all of the different Kirks Folly mermaid designs. I wear them all year long. I also love seahorses. I like how Kirks Folly designs them in different ways. From them laying by the moon, or having her hold a treasure in her hand. Sarah Bullington
ReplyDeleteMermaids have been my passion for as long as I can remember. My house is a virtual Mermaid museum. I have mermaids in every single room and my garden and yard are full of mermaids as well. My father and grandmother came here from Mistra Greece and so Mythology has always appealed to me but mermaids hold a very special place in my heart and in my soul. I have always loved this quote by Anais Nin "I must be a mermaid for I have a fear of shallow living and am not afraid of depths." That quote speaks to my soul. Helen I absolutely love this months blog on Mermaids. I love all of the Artwork you used and your story of inspiration. I love your mermaids and I love Rip Tide and I have a enormous Kirk's Folly Mermaid collection that I am always looking at expanding. I hope to see some new Helen Kirk mermaids soon. Thank you so much for making your June blog about Mermaids and thank you for all the mermaid magic you bring into the world. Love, Lanie Alexandria Costeas And P.S Shakespeare sends his love to you!
ReplyDeleteYour an amazing artist Helen... and have provided us with enchanting jewelry for many, many years... There are those that believe Mermaids/men STILL exists and your designs are a wonderful reminder of them... Sincere THANKS for the MAGIC! ♥<3
ReplyDeleteHi Helen. I was just wondering if one week, you could pacifically talk about Lorelei. I just love her and all of her beauty. Your fairy friend, Sarah Bullington
ReplyDeleteHi Helen. Love the story about mermaids. They are so magical. I've been collecting Kirks Folly mermaid jewelry for awhile, and I get so many compliments when I wear them. I recently added a special mermaid area to my home. I took the new infinity scarf from the Fairy Godmothers' grab bag, and placed it on a credenza in my entry way. I put an apothocary jar full of shells, sand, and sea glass on it. I filled in with a large conch shell, a huge hunk of coral, and three mercury spheres in aqua that twinkle. I have all my Kirks Folly mermaid pieces on display, including my new Riptide necklace. Of course I added the Kirks Folly mermaid candle to the display. Thank you for the magic, you're a gifted artist!! Sincerely, Sheryl Pierson
ReplyDeleteDear Helen, Your Blog always amazes me. I don't know how you find time. Please do my Hummingbirds. My Dad passed on the 6th of this month!! Well my dad carved little hummingbirds and a couple of days b4 he passed in his hospital bed 8 floors up he says to my sister and I, I just saw a Hummingbird. I said I don't think so Dad as it is so high up because My sister and I didn't see it. But said to him maybe you did because anything is possible. Well I have had hummingbirds come to my feeder every year but not this yr so far and was sad cause to me that was a sign from my dad that everything was ok. On Saturday while my husband and I were camping all of a sudden there was a hummingbird so close to me that I could touch it. It stayed long enough for me to know it was there. I was so happy. I know it was my dad telling me everything was ok and my decision to let him go was the RIGHT thing to do. Please Helen more hummingbirds for my DAD and me. I have the magnetic one of Kirksfolly and get a lot of compliments. thank you, Helen. DRAGONFLY (Ida Sutton)
ReplyDeleteDear Ida,
DeleteIt sounds like your Dad was as special as mine. Hummingbirds are very special to me too. My Dad always loved the hummers as he called them. He taught me to see them as miracles, because that's what they really are. Those tiny bodies, with those tiny wings, that move so fast. They are miracles of aviation. If you notice most of the time they come at the magic hours, at sunrise, and sunset. Amazing that your lovely Dad saw his hummingbird, and you did too. That was not an accident. My Dad has been gone for 25 years, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him. Take care of yourself, and know that you did the right thing in letting your Dad go. You gave him a wonderful gift. Your Folly sister. Sincerely, Sheryl Pierson
Ida, we are so sorry to hear of your Dad's passing and we will keep him in the light and in our thoughts and prayers. We love to create with Hummingbirds and we'll continue to use them in our designs and when we do we'll be thinking of You and your Dad. XO Helen
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness!!! I can't believe that I won this beautiful mermaid sisters necklace. I'm so excited to get it, and see what it looks like. I've been collecting mermaids for awhile, and this will be perfect with the other pieces in my collection. Thank you Helen, love to you, and your family. Sincerely, Sheryl Pierson
ReplyDeleteMy mermaid sisters necklace arrived today, and it is stunning. The sea view moon is so beautiful, and the colors of the stones are the deepest of aqua blue. I feel so very honored to own this one of a kind enhancer/necklace. Thank you Helen, I will treasure it always. Love to you, and your family. Sincerely, Sheryl Pierson
ReplyDelete