Yes, yes, mermaids don't exist... But the icing on the cake, the drop of water on the scale, is a real-looking mer.  

The verisimilitude begins with textures.

I have to draw everything in trompe-l'oeil to break up the smooth, synthetic look of the printed fabric and flesh out the body. I create my textures by mixing traditional media, such as pastels and watercolour paper, and then altering them digitally. It's important for me to keep a tactile contact in the creation, I always start with a drawing, and I finish the last stitches by hand.​

I add elements borrowed from very real creatures.

Structures, a certain ratio of proportions, something that reflects the effects of evolution and the laws of physics... all invaluable in giving an imaginary creature a sense of coherence with its environment. So that mermaids and mermen look as if they've always been there.

To this end, I rely on my inquisitive mind. My taste for encyclopaedias, world-building and all those years of scientific study and research.

I used to invent whole planets out of them, with animals, their habitats, their habits, their life cycles... Latinist Prof Oak, I even gave them scientific and vernacular names! My oldest, not very original, is Marinus marinosus. A species of mammal with fins and a long tail which, like me, enjoyed basking in the waters trapped on the sand at low tide.

As inspiration goes, 

I have to admit I have a fondness for the so-called basic. 

It may be once again that my scientific side influences the artist, but I think that without common fish, seaweed, waves or rocks, mermaids would look a bit out of place...! The artist, in turn, draws the scientific eye to the fleeting and subtle details of the simplest things, pointing to a hidden beauty to be unveiled and sublimated.

Conversely, I love interpreting someone else's vision.

There's something quite magical about collaborating on a custom commission, a combination of trust, vulnerability and novelty which can push me towards horizons I wouldn't have explored on my own. 

Finally, I think a beautiful mer is one who moves naturally and comfortably.

To achieve this, one needs lightweight, non-absorbent materials which are also sturdy and easy to care for, to free the mind of the tail. For instance, I'm personally not a fan of vinyl or huge fins because they drag, but if you cheat a bit on the contours of a monofin, you can still get a lot of eye candy, with little to nothing strain on your abs (you know what I'm talking about...)!

I make prototypes, I test them myself... and I dream of a laboratory to take my experiments further!