Meet our Artist

Suntera Global is the App sponsor, and we are also sponsoring a large dolphin in The Big Splash initiative in support of Hospice Isle of Man.

Our dolphin's intricate and unique design, Galaxy Clockwork, is the brainchild of Manx Artist, Claudia Dodds.

The design was primarily inspired by Claudia's love of space, which led to her doing an Astrophysics and Biology degree. She previously worked in Aerospace, which involved many tiny cogs and gears, which are beautiful in their symmetry. She wove in several other themes, such as steampunk-inspired fantasy aesthetics as well as a touch of her husband's favourite horror-based games.

The design was also inspired by her best friend's love of horses, as the exquisite workmanship and practicality that goes into the leather items brings the symbolism of working with nature. Finally, Winter, a dolphin with a prosthetic tail, linked everything together, with the inspiration of her overcoming her disability, further supplied vision for the design.

To learn more about Claudia, read her Q&A below.

A Q&A session with Claudia Dodds

Manx Artist, Claudia Dodds, created the intricate and unique design of Galaxy Clockwork, our Big Splash Isle of Man dolphin sculpture. Read the Q&A below to learn more about Claudia, the artwork she creates and her Big Splash Isle of Man experience.

Q: How long have you been an artist?
A: I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I remember. I believe that artists should always continue to practice and I still have much to learn.

Q: What type of art do you make?
A: I mostly work in acrylic paint but have been practicing watercolours more recently. I normally either do hyper-realistic acrylic paintings using photos as a reference, or fantasy art of dragons and mermaids.

Q: What do you most enjoy painting?
A: I enjoy painting mermaids as there is so much freedom in how to depict them.

Q: Who are your biggest artistic influences?
A: I really enjoyed my time at school learning new methods. I also enjoy trying to recreate styles from people I follow on social media, such as Katy Lipscomb.

Q: What does your artwork represent?
A: Time to myself, and a chance for me to try new things.

Q: What was your inspiration behind Galaxy Clockwork?
A: Galaxy Clockwork was inspired by my love of space and the steampunk aesthetic.

Q: What was the most challenging thing you found when painting Galaxy Clockwork?
A: I learned a lot while painting this dolphin, especially from the artists sharing the workspace with me. There are many other methods that I could have used that may have been more efficient – maybe next time! The biggest challenge for me was to decide when the piece was finished and to walk away without adding extra details. I loved working on it though.

Q: What does your art mean to you?
A: My art makes me happy and I love the feeling of having created something beautiful.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Chasing after my kiddies and my artwork.

Q: The Big Splash was created to bring together the community and celebrate the beautiful marine environment of the Isle of Man. How did those factors influence your approach to this project?
A: Part of the beauty of the island is how many Dark Sky spots it has, including in the coastal areas, so I wanted to reflect that with the galaxy theme.

Q: How would you describe your experience of being part of this project and working with Suntera Global?
A: This experience has been wonderful, and Suntera has made me feel appreciated for my design and proud.

Q: What role do you think that art can play in the effort to create a more environmentally friendly world?
A: I think this art trail has encouraged people to go out and see the coast of our island, and to appreciate how important our local environment is and the impact that we have on it.

For more information about our involvement in The Big Splash initiative, click here.

Galaxy Clockwork

The Big Splash

From 27th May to 19th September 2022, a large pod of spectacular dolphin sculptures will take up residence across the Isle of Man. This charitable initiative, The Big Splash, is a Wild in Art trail, which has been organised by Hospice Isle of Man.

We are thrilled to be the App sponsor and to be sponsoring a large dolphin in an initiative which helps raise valuable funds for this well deserving charity.