Cryptids

As I stated before, I love cryptids. I feel like they are modern mythology. Mystical cautionary tales of beasts and monsters and other strange creatures only to be seen by a select few. I also love how each distinct culture and region of the world has their very own set of cryptids - whether they are the Yokai of Japanese folklore to the Spirits found in Indigenous stories. Whether terrifying or ridiculous, they inhabit a space between what is real and what is imagined. And they are so incredibly fun to learn about and to paint.

Cryptid mermaid

In 2021, I created my own prompt list for Mermay focusing on cryptids, Here is the prompt list and some of the paintings. A lot of these I still haven’t scanned and cleaned up - but I am planning on it!