I wanted to create an animal combined with two others to create a "combination animal." I originally wanted to create tentacles on the top of the head, resembling more of an eldrich horror like Cthulu. After some time of struggling I scrapped the idea, yet I still wanted it to have an aquatic element, so I decided on a mermaid tail to fit that. I originally wanted to add the clear glaze on the entire thing, but leaving the bear part exposed would be a better contrast in texture. It went from a horrific animal, in theory, into the more loveable-looking piece he is now.