Powderham Castle Back to The Future Exhibition Sept 2019: Introducing Courtnay Hot Lips

As part of Powderham Art Festival the amazing Anna Fitzgerald who runs WooHoo Art Events facilitated the "Back to The Future" Powderham Art Display. About 40 artists were given a fairly random photo of a piece of existing art in the castle to re-interpret in their own fashion. I'll add the photo I was given and what I created at the bottom of this blog.

The show opened at 9am Saturday 21st September, and by 9.04 I received a message from Anna to say, that "Courtnay Hot Lips" had sold straight away. What a lovely start to a dull wet day, and an affirmation that some people out there do like my quirky style!!

The following words accompanied the piece:

Courtnay Hot Lips: The Courtney Dolphin that Broke Free 
If you look carefully around you in the castle or ask a guide you will find the Courtnay Dolphin all over the place, but you will have to search carefully.
Anna knows me well enough to send me something to interpret with a sea theme. However, the image I received to interpret was confusing at first: a gold leaf creature on the legs of the pink upholstered chair. It took me some research from the those with local knowledge to inform me it was the Courtney Dolphin.
A tour of the castle revealed the various styles of Courtnay Dolphin, and my final inspiration came as I passed the Dolphin Inn on my way home. I am lucky enough to see dolphins in the wild in Lyme Bay and wanted my Courtnay dolphin to break free from the restraints of the castle and look as though she has having a whale of a time in the wild. The piece became a she when I chose to brighten her up with the red lips; and so her name evolved Courtnay Hot Lips.

Thanks for taking the time to read about her.   

​The images below show the evolution of Courtnay: The image I was given, the image on display in the dark castle, and finally her image set free as intended 

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