Stingray Meets... Ursula

I don't remember who first suggested adding Ursula to the list of potential characters for Stingray to meet, but I was initially reluctant to include her. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't sure that anyone would want to draw her. Ironic I guess, considering I aske people to draw Stingray all the time he said, riddled with self awareness. I floated the suggestion by some friends, and my buddy Eric pointed out that Ursula was based on the drag queen Divine, a favorite performer of John Waters. This, and a discussion of possibilities of what a commission featuring Ursula could be lead to me adding her to the list. Fast forward maybe two weeks later Sean from Athenaeum announced that he was opening a commission list for Nate Powell. I had just read Nate's book 'Fall Through' over the summer and really enjoyed his art so I decided I needed to get on the list. I asked Sean if he thought Nate would enjoy doing a 'Stingray Meets...' commission, and Sean said yes. So I sent over the list of characters and was surprised when, less than 24 hours later, Sean came back and told me that Nate wanted to draw Ursula.

A couple of weeks later, Nate sent me a prelim through e-mail so I could see what he was thinking. I wasn't expecting the Jaws homage, but I enjoyed it and suggested to Nate that since Ursula appears very large at the bottom of the image, this would be an opportunity to lean into the kaiju-like nature of how she appears at the end of the film. Nate agreed stating that he would "lean all the way in".

Upon looking at this piece, your eyes are immediately drawn to the bright red hand lettering at the top of the page. The subtle purple drop shadow really accentuates the letters and makes them jump right off the page. Nate has stated that this is one of the most technically difficult pieces he's ever done, and I'm guessing the title was a big part of that, but he nailed it! And then we have Stingray. He seems to be enjoying a casual swim, completely unaware of the impending doom that lies beneath him. I also really like the water color effect and actual colors in the ocean, the way it goes from light blue to gray to purple to almost black toward the bottom.

What can I say about Ursula here? HOT DAMN, Nate did not miss a step here! She is a big, bodacious, baddie that comes from the depths and she looks lethal! From the necklace containing Ariel's voice, to Neptune's crown, to the beauty mark by her lower lip, all the details are here. The talon-like finger nails and monstrous tentacles along with her size manage to sell the idea of her being a kaiju HARD. I kind of wonder if Nate had 'Pink Flamingos' on in the background while he was working on this...

11x17 mixed media on bristol.

Check out Nate's art for sale at Athenaeum:
Nate Powell at Athenaeum

Follow Nate on Instagram:
@seemybrotherdance

Watch the unboxing video:
Athenaeum Double Unboxing