The concept for The Oyster Nymphs came to my mother one morning while she was waiting in vain for a model, Chantel to sit for the Happily Ever After painting. It seems she put her time to good use and I found that original sketch where she initially worked on the concept, see below. It took another couple of months before she had the time and energy to start this painting.

I think it is a wonderful example of my mothers playful side and imagination, although she always had to work hard to let her vision escape from reality. When that happened it would often go into the realm of myths. I don’t think this painting is depicting any particular myth or story even though according to ancient Greek myths, pearls were tears of joy shed by Aphrodite who was said to have been born in an oyster shell. While Greek myths of nymphs and naiads and nereids are part of western education, my mother had lived in Japan where it is also said that pearls are the tears of water nymphs and mermaids in their mythology.

A reading of the diary entries goes on to tell of the mixed emotions my mother had about selling the painting and plans for producing reproductions, that initially didn’t happen. But she did sell it later on. I hope to find those details in a later diary.

A sad note about this painting is that much like it’s sequel, the turquoise oil paint colour of the nymphs began to break down and start to loose some of the detailed features. This actually happened within her lifetime and she blamed it in on some inferior less expensive paint she bought instead of her usual Windsor and Newton brand. The image you see here is based on photographs I took when I visited in 1975.

Diary Entries

Supporting drawings