With over 70+ hours of painting… I can confirm that my Moor Otter ‘OTTERbiography’ is finished!

A celebration of natural childhood games, adventures & treasured memories. I began writing their story & then centred the design around them. The story weaves its way around the intrepid two & is filled with illustrative childlike details 🐞

You’ll notice the initial designs below, which I altered and tweaked as the process journeyed on. However, the story wanders around the otter and cub and reads….

‘We begin our adventure at Chapter 1, the sun has risen the day has begun. At Chapter 2 we step outside, a playful game of seek & hide. We cast our nets in Chapter 3, wellie splashing, stone skimming, you & me. One step, two step, three step, four, Daisy chain links & fish from the shore. Chapter 5 fresh air, perfect fish, dandelion dreams & a lucky wish. Rock pooling, kite flying, six, seven, eight. Bug hunts, ladybirds, worms for bait. Climbing, clambering, running, swim. Pebble towers & stones to skim. Nine nine nine, smells like fire, marshmallow swords, prickles & briar. Nets at dusk, wet sand and feet. Cosy and warm, you, me, complete. At ten we crash with sleepy jolt, tired eyes, half closed, our bedtime holt. Our chapters, our stories, our time as one. Our treasures and memories have only just begun. The final chapter before we rest, to be loved is to be truly blessed’.

Looking forward to the launch…

OTTER Q & A!

DESIGN

Influenced by Dartmoor and the natural things that you get up to as a child.

Pebble towers, skimming stones, bug hunts, cloud spotting, star gazing, playing pooh sticks,

Running, skipping, jumping, and that lovely moment when you’re so tired at the end of a long day that you snuggle down in your bedtime holt.

PROCESS

I began with writing a story about their adventures together which then formed my design concept. So it focuses on a day in the life of their time together – and the adventures and chapters that make up their moments.

I wanted the design to engage the viewer, so not only are the adventures painted on, but the story is written and weaves around them – so in order to (cue pun) read their otterbiography, you have to journey around them too.

I use a lot of colour in  my work so it was important that this translated to this particular project too. Building up the colour took a long time – I wanted mine to be eye catching and vibrant and so at least three layers went of acrylic went onto the otter.

CHALLENGES

Length of time of project. Over 70+ hours!

Layering the colour to ensure an even and thorough finish.

The 3d element of taking a flat paper design and translating that to something 3d.

The time in between finishing it and it being glazed……so stressful – because you know it’s still this precious potentially breakable thing….!

WHY?

My work is a celebration of Dartmoor and I was drawn to the project because it supports conservation on Dartmoor and projects which are about looking after the land and supporting this really special part of the world.

I like a challenge!

It feels really special that your design will be at a host location and will join other artists all across the moor. I love the ethos the project empahsises – making people smile and getting families out and about in the fresh air.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT CLICK HERE