Layl's Silly Milly Art
Layl's Silly Milly Art
Layl McDill Polymer Clay Sculpture Gallery
What Lives Under a Mermaid’s Bed? - Mirror
Created in 2006
26"x18"x4" Sold
Inspiration - One day I sat in front of my scrap pile and thought, "What am I going to do with all this!" then I looked down and saw a mirror that our Mosaic teacher had given me because it was scratched. I wasn't sure where I was headed but I just started adding clay all around the edges. Then to cover the scratches I made a big octopus and a fish. The fish was looking up at something but what? The next day I realized it was a Mermaid sitting on a bed. I'm not sure where the image of the bed came from but I wanted her to sit on something. As I created the title came into my head and I loved the idea that something mysterious would have to live under a mermaid's bed. It was my favorite type of whimsy that takes an everyday object like a bed and adds a little magic.
Technique - To add the bed at the top I made it separately with a wire armature running all through it. The feet of the bed are wire loops that could be screwed into the top of the wooden frame around the mirror. Working on a wooden surface is very tricky because of the way wood expands and contracts. I had to do a lot of layering to cover cracks.
Sold- This piece has an interesting story of how it found its eventual home. I sold the piece to a woman and her daughter in Ames, IA and they were thrilled with it but when they brought it home it fell from the wall because of vibrations from construction. The woman was heartbroken and tried to get the construction company to pay for the piece. Unfortunately this turned into a bit of a war and eventually the woman couldn't look at the piece without being reminded of this negative experience. Finally she decided to turn a bad thing into something good and she ended up donating the piece to a children's home. When she delivered it they were thrilled and I am pleased to know that my piece is being enjoyed by a lot of people that appreciate it. In 2009 I was at the Ames show and someone from the Children's show stopped in to tell me how much this piece is enjoyed everyday!