Select a region
As the countdown begins for this summer's Tortoise Takeover, Express gets behind the scenes and chats to an artist behind one of the 50 tortoise designs...
The fundraising generated from the Tortoise Takeover sculptures, which have already all been sponsored by local businesses, will be used to build a new amphibian and reptile house at Jersey Zoo.
Marnie Maurri's design was picked for the tortoise sponsored by Express, which is supporting the 'Tortoise Takeover' initiative as its official media partner.
Although the designs have to remain top secret until the trail is revealed in July, Marnie was happy to share an insight into her artistic background and the process that goes into decorating a giant tortoise sculpture.
After completing a degree and MA in Theatre Design, Marnie decided that the world of theatre wasn't for her and instead became self-employed as an illustrator.
She has illustrated numerous books, including creating the 'Doodle Girl' series alongside authors Suzanne Smith and Lindsay Taylor.
Pictured: Marnie is the illustrator of the Doodle Girl books.
From her home studio in Bromsgrove, Marnie works on residential commissions for a wide range of individuals and businesses which she describes as a "very lovely" job which she is "very lucky" to have.
Marnie first started designing sculptures for art trails in 2018, when she was chosen as one of the artists for the 'Worcester Stands Tall' trail which saw colourful giraffe sculptures installed around the city for ten weeks.
"I got the bug!" said Marnie, who has since designed elephant, hare, and owl sculptures for art trails all over the country.
She added: "It's so addictive, and always for an amazing cause. Decorating the sculptures is always a joy from start from finish."
Most recently, she has finished decorating two large Morph sculptures which are due to be displayed in London.
However, she admitted that the Tortoise Takeover sculpture is her "favourite one so far".
"He's just so cute," said Marnie. "I was actually quite sad to leave him once I had finished the design."
Although decorating sculptures is different to her usual work in illustration, Marnie explained that her background in theatre means that she is used to working on large scale projects.
View this post on Instagram
She admitted that is can be difficult translating a 2D paper design onto an "undulating" 3D sculpture, with a lot of "sculpture yoga" involved to ensure that every part of the tortoise is accessible.
Although she can't reveal her design until the trail goes live in summer, Marnie explained that the artwork on the tortoise is "much less detailed" that some of her other designs which has made the process easier.
She said: "The tortoise only took about five days to paint compared to an elephant sculpture I've previously painted which took three and a half weeks!"
Pictured: The tortoise designs have to remain top secret until the trail is revealed in July.
"The tortoise has been an absolute dream to work on," Marnie added.
Although she is not sure if the logistics will work out, Marnie said that she would "love to" be able to visit her tortoise when it is on display in Jersey.
"It's always nice to see a sculpture in situ so I will try my best," she said.
Pictured: The decorating process involved a lot of "sculpture yoga".
Marnie's tortoise will be on display in the wild in Jersey from 1 July - 31 August 2023.
After the trail has ended, all the tortoises will be united together for a last farewell weekend in September before the larger sculptures go up for auction on the 21 September to raise money for a new tropical house to home a variety of endangered reptiles and amphibians at the Jersey Zoo.
Express is proud to be the media partner for this year's Tortoise Takeover. Sign up to our daily news email for all the latest updates.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.