Coronavirus Mini-Canvas Challenge 8

This is week 8 of my Coronavirus Mini-Canvas Challenge. For a change from the Corona Bunch, I decided to paint a plague protector, the helpful Amabie.

I first heard about the Amabie in episode 49, Close Encounter with an Amabie, on the Uncanny Japan podcast by writer Thersa Matsuura.

The Amabie is a Japanese yōkai, a supernatural creature, who bobs around on the sea close to shore, warning of plague and providing protection to anyone who looks at her image.

Thersa describes the friendly creature as being long-haired, beak-faced and having scales and three tentacle-like legs.

This is an original version of the Amabie from the Edo period.

Many people have taken up the challenge to draw their own versions of the Amabie.

Here is the start of my version.

Here is the final Amabie.

Amabie

There’s something soothing and calming about the Amabie. She seems gentle too as if she’s an antidote to the turmoil in the world. I like to think of her turning the Corona Bunch and other viruses into friendlies.

Next week I’ll return to portraits of the Corona Bunch, and the sextuplets will probably increase to nonuplets.