For this collage series, my subject was two ceramic mermaids that were always above the bathtub at my grandma's house while I was growing up (and long before my time). I was always fascinated with them, they are quirky and have a vintage feel that I love, and as a little girl I absolutely loved mermaids in general. Right before the pandemic, my grandma moved into an assisted living facility and then was transferred to a memory care unit shortly after because of the rapid rate of development of dementia. As we began dividing up my grandma's belongings that she did not take with her to the facility in preparation to sell the family home (which at the last minute my parents decided to buy and move into) I was able to bring these mermaids into my own possession. To my whole family's surprise, my grandma had carved her name in the back of the mermaids. Through some digging, we then discovered that she spent a significant amount of time in the 1950's and 60's in a ceramic studio making these trinkets and even some serving platters and candy dishes. I consider myself close to my grandma, yet she had never mentioned this portion of her life to me even when her mind was still clear, even though she knew I am also an artist. I collaged these mermaids in a way that feels shaky and blurred, to represent her memory loss and struggles with it. I broke it into chunks on top of an edited version of one of my paintings that she loves. I wanted it to feel choppy, as there are many pieces we are putting together, some that may never be fully clear, but mending together another thing that I have in common with one of my favorite people as this journey continues.