Celtic artist Courtney Davis:
 COURTNEY DAVIS
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 THE ANGEL OF HEALING: By Courtney Davis.features-courtney-davis-moonlight-faery.tif
ARTWORK by Courtney Davis. Based in Dorset, UK, Courtney is one of the world’s leading exponents of Celtic art.
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 SKETCH of the earth goddess by Courtney Davis.
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 SKETCH of the earth goddess by Courtney Davis.
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 CLAY mould of the earth goddess.
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‘I feel even more passionate today
than at anytime in my life
for the journey ahead of me.’
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
Courtney Davis – artist, designer, visionary – is one of the world’s leading exponents of Celtic art. His incredible works capture the magic and mystery of the ancient Celts in a manner unparalleled by any other artist.
His paintings use the same techniques and symbolism employed by the Celts, an echo of the past when man viewed the world with more spiritual eyes.
Courtney’s genius is recognized world-wide and his success has led to the publishing of 50 books of his work and won countless fans. What is most extraordinary, is the fact that Courtney Davis has had no artistic training whatsoever.
He has spent a great deal of time researching Celtic designs, and some of his work has involved recreating 'lost' images from early Christian manuscripts.
Many of the early books were stolen from the monasteries by the Vikings who stripped the covers of their gold and jewels and threw the pages away, some were found by local farmers who would sometimes dip these holy books in water as a way of blessing the water, but of course this would dissolve the ink and cause the vellum pages to stretch and distort.
Recreating work like this involves detective work and intuition in equal measures. Sometimes only dots will remain giving a clue to outlines and figures not seen for hundreds of years.
Celtic Illumination, published in 1998 featured many such images drawn from nearly 30 manuscripts spanning five centuries of religious iconography.
His books include the Celtic Art Workbook series, Celtic Beasts, and the visually stunning The Celtic Saints. He has also produced work for tattooists, publishing The Celtic Tattoo Workbook and the Viking Tattoo Workbook.
Courtney Davis himself a Celt, was born to parents of Welsh, Scottish and Irish descent on October 31, 1946, on the eve of the great Celtic festival of Samhain. While his birthplace was Blackwoods, South Wales, he grew up in England.
He went straight from school into a job at a grocery stall, but because he was born with a back problem, lifting heavy boxes soon exacerbated his condition and he was forced to look for alternative employment.
He was able to get a position as an apprentice gold engraver and jewellery designer and soon discovered that he had a natural talent for the job and his designs were much in demand.
In 1974, with worsening back pain, Courtney went into the hospital to undergo major corrective surgery on his spine. It was during the painful period right after his first surgery that he had a series of mystical experiences which completely changed his life.
I recently spoke with Courtney Davis about his art and design of Celtic jewellery and of his mystical experiences.
Courtney, I want to ask you about your jewellery line, particularly the beautiful Earth Goddess pendant.
The Earth Goddess came from different experiences that I have had in my lifetime. When I have been sitting beside trees, I have been aware of the fact that there is as much above the ground as below the ground.
Originally, the goddess hair was going to become the branches. When I start a picture, I have a rough idea of the shape and I use the pencil to draw the rough design. Then, I start to see what’s going to happen with the picture.
I normally have Merlin to give me the shape and the shape is actually inside my heart. I can feel the shape and I draw it on the paper, and then it is gradually refined and refined, and that’s just the process that I do.
When you speak of Merlin, is that the Merlin that gave King Arthur direction?
No, it’s a bit more than that. I think it’s part of the whole Celtic spirituality that’s going on at the moment. He first came through to a friend of mine and said for whatever name, you can call me Merlin.
I don’t use the name that much because I feel it’s kind of Celtic spirituality, but lots of people like to think of it as Merlin. I feel that it’s part of the same energy that is in Irish dance or Irish music....it all taps into that kind of spirituality.
Are some of your jewellery designs duplicates from your art works?
Some designs are taken from my books and have been recreated but others like the Earth Goddess, which I did specifically for jewellery. I used to be in jewellery many years ago so I have a kind of feel for the jewellery.
What other designs of jewellery are you working on at present?
I’m working on a dragon pendant at the moment, dragons have been very popular. I think it’s the Merlin energy again, the untapped energy within the earth and the power centres and things like that.
For me, the interest started 30 years ago when I started creating these images and people used to look at my work and think I was from another planet. People just didn’t understand what I was doing. But, I think that the international appeal of Riverdance has kind of triggered a new interest in all things Celtic.
Some years ago I used to have my art at Celtic book fairs and people couldn’t understand it, but all of a sudden there is an interest in Celtic art. It touches people, and the lovely thing is you don’t have to be Celtic.
At the time of your back surgery in 1974, you had a mystical experience that changed your life. Can you relate some of what happened then and if you have had other mystical experiences since?
When I had that experience in the hospital, I wasn’t really spiritually inclined. I was a jeweller designer and I had everything that money could buy. You name it, I had it.
When I had this experience, I didn’t know what it was, but I felt that I had to give back. Eventually, I moved into a Buddhist temple in London and I got rid of everything, except a little wooden box, and that was all the possessions that I had.
I was in the temple for a year and what started happening was the beginnings of Merlin. I would be in the temple chanting and I started to feel this energy overpowering me. I decided that Buddhism wasn’t my journey anymore.
My father died during this period and while I was looking after my mum, I started back doing some pencil drawings.
It was while I was attending a festival of mind, body, and spirit, where I had an exhibition, that I was asked to draw a picture of Merlin for a friend. The only thing I could do was go out and look up at the sky and the plough and ask Merlin for help. Immediately, a shooting star went through the plough.
When I went back to the house to start drawing, hands started touching the paper and then hands resting on my shoulders as I worked. When I would put something in the picture that I thought would work, there would be a finger tapping me on my back signalling me to take it out.
It took me about five years to let go and totally let them take over, and as a result I have done about 50 books now.
Things have changed quite a bit now. For the past 30 years, I have worked in the studio and have not talked about my experiences and the energy. But now, I feel that it’s my time to actually start doing workshops and talks and let people know about what I experienced.
What advice would you give to people who may want to try their hand at Celtic art?
With my art I am not a traditionalist. The ancient Celtic artists were extremely talented, but I’m sure that if they were around today, that they would be doing all kinds of different art. I feel that I kind of like to stretch Celtic art.
A lot of people use measurements and grids, but I don’t do any of that. I just purely free hand and I generally tell people to doodle, play around and enjoy themselves and see what happens.
You have done healing workshops, do you still do them?
Healing is a major part of my life now, about 50 percent of my time is spent doing healing on people.
I use a Japanese type of healing because I just like the philosophy, spirituality, art and music. By holding your hand out, you direct the illness out of the person who is sick. I also do a hands-on healing, which is much more dynamic. That’s when Merlin will quite often come through and maybe give the person a bit of direction.
Would you travel outside of the U.K. to do workshops?
Oh yes, very definitely. Actually, I used to travel to America about four or five times a year, until about three years ago and then I separated from my wife.
I wanted to spend more time with my two children just so they would know that I wasn’t going to disappear. But, the children are older now, so I would be able to resume travel to do workshops.
In 2008 after being hidden away in my studio for 30 years, Merlin began to encourage and direct me in a different direction. My life's work now seems to be following a healing and teaching route, passing on the knowledge I have learnt from the Mage.
This is also coinciding with an awakening process I am going through right now. It has been a journey of huge joy and even in the darkest moments in my past I am thankful each day for the chance to create art that uplifts people around the world, and feel even more passionate today than at anytime in my life for the journey ahead of me.
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For more information about Courtney Davis, his Celtic art and jewellery, visit his website at: courtneydavisjewelry.com, or e-mail: info@courtneydavisjewelry.com.
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