In June 2023 I gave myself the challenge of painting small watercolor “doodles” as a warmup, a practice I’d let fall by the wayside. I created a stack of weird little creatures and then one day painted a tiny fish carrying a locket. Something about this image unlocked a room deep inside my brain and began my ongoing exploration of this series across artistic mediums.
Salt Marsh the treasure fish, the tiny painting that started a still-growing school of treasure fish.
Glasskelp the treasure fish is entrusted with delivery of the Crown of the Flowers of the Waves. This is a great honor since the Manatee Queen needs it to officially declare the winner of the election for her successor.
Raspberry Summer the treasure fish carries a pair of gossamer ribbons that will perfectly complement the violet eyes of her friend Calm Seas, a thoughtful manatee scientist. (As in, the scientist herself is a manatee, not as in a scientist who studies manatees. It’s hard to convey emphasis and inflection of speech here!)
Amethyst Clouds the treasure fish carries a tiny embroidered flower framed by its hoop and hung from a green velvet ribbon. It was stitched by a sewing student on the Isle of Glass Stars and is imbued with the enchantment of the wonder felt by a child discovering a new art form.
Moss Agate the treasure fish carries a reflection of a rainbow preserved within magical glass and gold by skilled merpeople artisans. It will serve as a wearable token of honor for the elected leader of the Northwaters Salmon and Crab Collective while serving their term of office.
Dusty Garnet the treasure fish carries a gold and ruby ring hung from a matching golden chain, an heirloom piece from the southern Seahorse Kingdom. Separately the pieces have no magic but when worn together they bring the warm memory of a favorite meal to the mind of anyone in the same room as the bearer of the jewelry.
Copper Jade the clockwork treasure fish carries a glass sphere of a potion that allows whomsoever drinks it to see three hours into the future. (This started as a regular non-robotic, non-steampunk fish, but when my kid saw the start of the sketch they correctly suggested that it could easily be turned into a clockwork fish instead.)
Soft Waves the treasure fish carries a golden crown set with sapphires and pearls. It will be worn by the elected mayor of Scallop Cove in her upcoming wedding, a tradition that dates back to the founding of the welcoming cove city.
Plum Skies the treasure fish carries a necklace of the finest bubbles from the carbonated currents of the Amethyst Sea, a gift for the ancient and beloved Lobster Queen (who will handle the necklace extremely delicately with her claws).
Sunlit Seaspray the treasure fish carries a bejeweled velvet ribbon that will adorn the birthday gown of her good friend Basalt (who happens to be a walrus).
Golden Day the treasure fish carries a copper pendant containing a dried echinacea flower pressed in glass, preserved from the gardens of the wood nymphs of the Whisper Forest. The copper enhances the soothing magic of the flower, bringing a deep sense of peace and well-being to whomever wears the necklace.
Calm Currents the treasure fish carries an amulet charmed to show the next day's weather for wherever the wearer might be. Created by the great puffer fish enchantress Moonsalt, the amulet is a gift for the kind queen of the Radish Peninsula.
Aventurine the treasure fish carries a necklace with mineral pendants carved to resemble dogwood flowers and green leaves. The necklace brings the feelings of the warmth and hope of early spring to any who are fortunate enough to wear it.
Rainbow Weather the treasure fish carries a necklace of pearls and many-hued gems made by the master sting ray jewelers of the Feathered Reef. The necklace is imbued with an enchantment to glow when in the presence of true love, whether it be romantic, between the closest of friends, or between family (biological or chosen).
Sweet Tangerine the treasure fish carries a miniature landscape painting in a golden frame enchanted to protect it underwater. It is a gift for the fish of the Velvet Sea who are curious to see how a tree on land differs from their kelp forest.
Emerald Citrus the treasure fish carries a pendant of his gemstone namesake set in gold and hung from a golden chain. The chain and square-cut emerald were shaped by a human craftswoman named Reviella in the port city of Star Cliffs. Their only magic is the beauty and the careful skill that she poured into their making, which is of course its own kind of enchantment.
Sapphire Earth the treasure fish carries a charm that when illuminated by moonlight will play the secret music of the stars.
Orange Sunrise the treasure fish carries a small brass lantern enchanted to be watertight for transport beneath the waves with an equally enchanted candle that burns brightly for 100 years and a day. Magical lanterns such as this one are objects of wonder and delight in the undersea world since the glow of firelight is a novelty in contrast to the cool light of bioluminescence.
Turquoise Dream the treasure fish carries a flower crown of fragrant lemon leaves and purple aster flowers tied with a satin ribbon (all enchanted to be unaffected by the waters of the sea). It will be worn by the sea turtle singer Pebble Star at his annual spring concert.
Wishing Reflections the treasure fish carries a silver chain with a trailing pendant of topaz crystals and velvet ribbons. The necklace is for a skilled manta ray healer to replenish her internal energies so she may better soothe the tangible and metaphysical aches of others.
Peach Rose the treasure fish carries a gold and olivine ring hung from a golden chain. The ring (which can be worn on fingers or fins or as a pendant on the chain depending on the wearer’s anatomy) is imbued with the enchantment to enhance creativity and growth of new ideas to all who are nearby.
Ruby Sunset the treasure fish carries a diminutive golden scepter topped by her namesake gemstone with trailing pearls and gems. It was crafted by the skilled octopus artisans of the underwater city Pebbled Shores and will be used by the seahorse Master of Ceremonies during the city’s annual celebration of dance.
Lavender Song the treasure fish carries a delicate strand of seaweed to drape around the neck of the renowned moray eel scholar Glowing Shoals.
Bluebell Starshine the treasure fish carries a strand of enchanted water droplets from a lagoon on the shores of the Sweet Cucumber Isles. This precious strand will be draped around this year's graduating students of the Brine Shrimp School for Performing and Visual Arts.