Local Species Original Oil Painting by Tatiana Tatum
Two mermaids pause along the edge of the salt marsh, sharing a beer as the sun slips low over the Lowcountry. The title, Local Species, is both playful and affectionate—imagining mermaids not as distant mythical creatures, but as neighbors, friends, and part of the landscape itself.
The painting also nods to a familiar phrase from queer history: "History will say they were just friends." Like so many relationships that have been softened, hidden, or rewritten by time, these two figures exist in a space between friendship and romance, leaving the story open for the viewer to complete.
Part of my ongoing series exploring women, play, and Southern identity, Local Species celebrates companionship, tenderness, and the quiet magic of finding your people.
Details
Original oil painting on canvas
Unframed size: 12 × 16 inches
Professionally framed in an ornate gold frame
Signed by the artist
One-of-a-kind original artwork
A love letter to the Lowcountry, to chosen family, and to the beautiful ambiguity of relationships that refuse easy labels.
