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The Mermaid Mobile

Is an ’82 VW Westfalia Vanagon, the last year VW made the air-cooled engine. I originally purchased the van in California and drove it to my new home in Florida . Since then I have driven the Mermaid Mobile from California to Florida and back 5 times, West Coast to West Coast. As the years went on and the Florida Sun started to take a toll on the finish I was trying to figure out how to restore the van. It just really seemed like you needed a lot of money. I found a copy of Harrod Blank's art car book that my sister in law had given me a couple years earlier and that got the wheels of my new life and my mind rolling.

Mermaidsdontcook.com is my website and my art work is all about Mermaids so the name of the van became the Mermaid Mobile. Living between Florida and California what else would your theme be. After looking at all the types of art cars, I decided I loved the look of a painted art car and I wanted all of my art friends in Panama City , Florida and Los Osos, Ca (and some points in between) to paint on the van. That way I could carry all this different artwork around the country as I sold my own whimsical mermaid artwork.

It was a really hot Aug day in Florida ; I asked fifteen friends if they wanted to show up on Sunday and help me paint the van, I would buy the pizza and beer. When they asked what the theme was, I said nautical without a word everyone was off and running to paint their favorite spot. Word got around and people starting dropping by to paint on the Mermaid Mobile. To date the Mermaid Mobile has become a roving art gallery and represents about 48 different artists.

My art car is my weekend driver. Most people in town don’t know my name, but they all know the Mermaid Mobile.

Happy Tails
Paulette and the Mermaid Mobile :-}