“Mermaids are mysterious, seductive, and dangerous. In stories, they lead foolish men to their watery deaths, and I was inspired to depict a portrait of an enigmatic woman, crowned with coral, as a ship sinks far in the horizon. Instead of the usual flowing fishtails and hair, I wanted to focus on the subject as a person and stare straight into her eyes. Is she malicious, or can she be blamed for the actions of those seduced by her?”

“Love? I had some of that for Freddie. But when I saw that water, I saw something greater than our sweat slick bodies tangled in my discount sheets. There was no other man, just my reflection rippling in the moonlight. A goddess like the Lady of the Lake, a woman of power. I saw the me I should’ve been, and I wanted to slip under the cool water and embrace her.”

“If I close my eyes, I can still smell the chlorine of the Friendship Baptist baptismal pool. Despite the warmth of the water, my clenched teeth chattered. At the age of five, I had made the decision to be saved from eternal damnation, taking the plunge as a public profession of my faith. This was an act I repeated as a fifteen-year-old, craving a second helping of that holy acceptance. Looking back, I wonder if the two cancelled each other out.”