About the Artist

Teresa Kirke also known as Mermaid at Heart Studio, is a local artist from Victoria, BC. Working an intuitive process, she creates contemporary abstract artwork using the fluid medium of alcohol ink, resin, and acrylic inks. Her work is often recognized as having soft delicate edges, shimmery pops of colour, and a balance of negative space giving the organic movement of the inks room to shine. Alcohol inks are highly pigmented and are worked by diluting and manipulating the ink into flowing organic shapes and textures. As the diluted inks are translucent, many layers are built up through intuitive compositional placement as well as mica pigments and gold/silver leafing worked into the finished piece.

The inspiration behind many of Teresa’s favourite colours and compositions are found in the rugged wild west coast of British Columbia; the rich blues and greens of the Pacific Ocean, the corals and lavenders of the summer sunsets, and the vibrant florals found in the gardens throughout Victoria. Growing up on Vancouver Island she became drawn to the wild beauty around her; the rough landscapes of the island softened through sparkling sunlight glinting off the water, the bloom hidden in the rocky shoreline, and the rich greens and earth tones of the forest giants. Teresa believes there is beauty hidden everywhere we look and through her ink and mixed media artwork, she has found a connection with the natural world and that which she embraces through painting and exploration in her abstract work. 

Teresa uses a high-quality artist resin on many of her paintings to create further dimension and a crystal clear glossy and professional finish.

Teresa’s product range includes original works of art, extremely limited prints, and high end printed artwork on unique and functional pieces for the home such as throw pillows. She also loves to create functional artwork including original artwork on coasters, wood boxes, tiles, and painted trinket dishes. Her work can be found on her website at www.mermaidatheartstudio.com, local Vancouver Island shops including The Royal BC Museum gift shop in Victoria, BC and SeaThrift Artisan Boutique in Qualicum, BC, as well as many curated markets throughout the year.

What exactly are alcohol inks? 

Alcohol inks are, as the name suggests, an alcohol-based, highly pigmented ink that can be diluted with isopropyl alcohol and professional blending solutions.

What is epoxy resin? 

Epoxy resin is made up of two parts, resin and hardener. Once these two are mixed together, the mixture is activated by a chemical reaction and the resin will gradually harden to a hard glossy finish. Not all resin is created equally and artist grade resin is extremely low or free from harmful chemicals when curing, resists yellowing, and has a high level of UV protectants built in.