"Who says that my dreams, have to stay, just my dreams?"

~ Ariel, The Little Mermaid.

Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures all across the globe.  And I have a hunch, that if I were to ask the next ten shoppers who stop to admire one of our many pieces of mermaid art, a collectible, or an item of jewelry…I would get ten varied interpretations or in the very least, ten varied stories. Imaginative ones at that!

Whimsical, magical, perilous, enchanting…you’ll need a thesaurus at the ready for all the ways mermaids are described…and depicted.  And the lore is no different.  Whether it’s the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson or Disney’s animation adaptation, mermaid stories and fantastical tales (tails) are often tragically painful but with the proverbial happy endings.

Very much like sirens, mermaids are often depicted singing to sailors with the intention of enchanting them. Alas…as so many stories go…the singing provokes shipwrecks…but hey, it makes for a good story…and very fanciful art. 

And what’s apparent in this art is that mermaids have captured hearts and minds for years and years. Magical, mysterious…often provocative…with characteristics of both a human and a fish. Existing in the sea…as liberating as it is punishing (for mermaids, anyway)…and for us landlubbers, there’s such allure.

If you're a fan of the salt life or find a source of inspiration from “mermazing” stories about mermaids I think you’ll appreciate some of the most recent mermaid art from local and regional Outer Banks artisans here at Beach Treasures in Duck. It’s meant to mesmerize…and it’s meant to amaze.  It captures the kaleidoscope of colors and images that make up the enchanting world under the sea.

And while you can’t swim on over, you can hop on the boardwalk and walk right on in to Beach Treasures in Duck…we’re stocked full of treasures just waiting to be discovered.