Artist Biography

Sculptor Myke Irving

Mr. Myke Irving has been an artist for almost twenty years doing mostly illustrations and portrait work. In 1999, he switched from his main artistic mediums to sculpting. Specifically, Mr. Irving designed nine mermaids during that same year for the City of Norfolk’s Mermaids on Parade project.

Of those sculptures that Mr. Irving created, several of his mermaids were auctioned off and three remain on display. If you visit Norfolk’s Waterside, inside its food court, there are two hanging. He painted the USS Wisconsin BB-64 battleship on both.

Outside of these few sculptures for the City of Norfolk, Mr. Irving has also commissioned quite a few pieces for private patrons.  He designed six mermaid sculptures of varying lengths and styles to rest on a person’s 65-foot tour boat. They were decorated with a mixture of mirrored mosaics and painted decorations. Another one was for someone’s poolside. She displayed almost two hundred hand crafted scales on her tail and had a head full of beautifully flowing hair.

As well, he has even created a mermaid as an intended gift and donated one to a charity auction. Volvo asked Mr. Irving personally to design one out of chrome for its head Swedish executive to commemorate the company’s fiftieth birthday celebration. He also donated one of his mermaids to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be auctioned at its annual Crystal Ball. His sculpture fetched a $12,500 donation that evening for that charity.

There is also another mermaid, which named Ariel by her neighbors that is emerging from the water and is resting on a rock designed by Mr. Irving and located on Westminster Canterbury’s grounds near the Chesapeake Bay. 

Not limited to just mermaids, Mr. Irving has sculpted a school of fish for a couple’s baby’s room. He has also done two mascots: a marlin (wearing a top hat and coat tails) for the Virginia Beach Billfish Association and a dolphin for Virginia Beach’s Ocean Lakes High School. 

He now lends his sculpting talents to the City of Chesapeake.