She describes her style as whimsical and edgy, but Ladysmith artist Sally Mann's sculpture of a mermaid Pamela Anderson might be her most outlandish creation yet.
The larger-than-life tribute was listed for sale last week, and oddity seekers and fans of the Ladysmith celebrity can take it home for $2,800.
Perched in Mann's garden, the mermaid Pamela overlooks a wealth of curious creations.
For want of space, the artist has decided the sculpture needs to go.
"I live in a mobile home - there just isn't room," Mann said. "I need the money, starving artist that I am."
Originally priced at $4,500, the sculpture was created entirely of recycled materials.
About 200 aluminium cans were used to make the shiny fin scales, as well as the curls that tumble from her head.
Mann created the sculpture last spring, to be shown in a local gallery during a marine-themed exhibition.
A metal frame wrapped in chicken wire provided the base for the papier-mâché creation.
Using her own glue mixture to make the skin, the result was strong and durable.
"She'd look great in a pub," Mann said of her creation.
The 66-year-old's garden has become a gallery of the bizarre, reflective of the artist's fanciful style. Clay goblins and humanfaced snails line the backyard water fountains.
Surrealistic paintings, frightening flower pots and a twig creation of "Lady Smith" sit as creative subjects below the mermaid Pamela's throne.
Mann traced her infatuation with the mystical sea creatures back to some cinematic sculptures she made in college.
"I went back to college as a mature student in the U.K. in the early '90s. One of the projects we were given was to make some sculptures based on a movie, so I chose Splash," she said. "I've been doing them ever since."
In keeping with the recycled nature of many of her latest creations, Mann has been harvesting discarded chairs. After they're stripped, she meticulously paints animals, scenery, and, of course, a mermaid on them.
Curious collectors can peruse the Ladysmith artist's listings on Craigslist.
Mann has fielded calls for the mermaid Pamela, but so far, she said, none have been serious.
