ART has been a way of life for Annalee Davis for the last 22 years. The visual artist has made a name for herself on the local art scene and has now forged another chapter in her life, this time with the opening of her own place, the Manipura Gallery in St George.
“I was partnering with Bim Ventures and received support to build a gallery with the ideato build a one-stop retail outlet,” she said. “Weare trying to develop partnerships with interior designs and architects along with a website thatis supported by the social network. It just felt as though it was the right move to take itone step further.”
One aspect of her art that has been producing stellar results is the belly casts she has been producing for pregnant women.
“I did my first belly cast when I was pregnant with my daughter; she is nine now. Another pregnant woman saw it and said, could you do that for me?” Annalee said, and added: “It seems to have become increasingly popular with Barbadian women who have lived abroad or expatriate women, but it is popular with women who are more open.”
Along with the belly cast, Annalee also applies various designs according to her client’s taste and specifications.
“We had a woman whose father died and we did a belly cast with the surf and waves,” she recalled. “We had a lady who was pregnant with twins and lost one, so we did designs with the sun, moon and stars. Everybody brings something different to it.”
Belly casts can be lasting mementos for women and couples to remember their pregnancy and show their children as they grow older.
“It takes about an hour to do the cast, then I bring it back to the studio and put morelayers of plaster on it, then prime the surfaceand put the designs on,” Annalee says. “ThenI put a string on the back so it can be hung.
“Every time I’ve decorated a belly cast, it’s beena new experience. It’s a memento to celebratethe birth of a child. There’s something verypositive and life-affirming about it.”
But it isn’t only the belly casts that have come from Annalee’s creative nature. Her love of art shines through in the cedar earrings or the children’s furniture or the paintings that have become her signature pieces.
“I think that my work is inspired by the environment in which I work,” she revealed. “It’s about trying to provide something that’s vibrant and uplifting. It’s really about celebrating what’s wonderful about the Caribbean, and translating that into the various products and paintings. I’m trying to give some credibility to the value of beauty.”