The Sacred art of Courtney Davis

Courtney Davis has built a worldwide reputation as an artist who has re-awakened the visions and exquisite artwork of the ancient Celtic Illuminati, and for bringing to life the mystic symbolism, myths and imagery of Celtic art in a contemporary style that is uniquely his own.

In 1984 he caught the imagination and spirit of the time when his work Merlin the Immortal was first published igniting once again an interest in Arthurian legend.

Born of Welsh, Scottish and Irish descent on October 31st 1946 in Black-wood, South Wales, he grew up in London. His career began when he obtained an apprenticeship to one of the UK's largest jewellery manufacturers as an engraver and designer where his designs became popular and in high demand.

In 1974 he had major spinal surgery and during his hospital stay he experienced a series of mystical visions, which totally changed his life. These experience's, along with a deep feeling of personal loss following the death of his father soon afterwards, led him to question what he really wanted from this life. So as part of his personal quest he joined a Buddhist Temple in London and began an ever developing spiritual journey.

He did not return to engraving and instead began to draw, adding Celtic inspired borders to his pictures. For extra income he painted designs on old furniture using Art Nouveau and Pre-Raphaelite inspired designs. Soon, as his art become popular he created a range of cards and prints that became ever more in demand.

Inspired, he began to create a series of black and white prints which would go on to become the book that he is most associated with, Merlin Awakens.

Commissioned to produce covers for new age music, he gained increasing recognition, and went on to illustrate over 45 published books, such as Celtic Borders and Decoration, The Art of Celtia, The Celtic Tarot, St Patrick A Visual Celebration and The Celtic Source Book that have become Iconic Celtic Art Classics.

His work has been exhibited widely in Europe and as far a field as Tokyo and Australia, with my first American exhibition in Chicago in 1995. Since then he has exhibited regularly in the USA. Many of his original pieces can be located in private and institutional collections, in chapels and museums.
He is entirely self-taught, and his sacred art is created in gouache and ink. "When I start a picture I don't know what I'm going to draw, often the image will change as I'm working on it. It's taken me a long time to learn to just go with the flow of the picture, rather than trying to plan how it's going to develop". He finds that light energy guides his hand as he works.

Designs of his art have been applied to mediums such as cards, posters, fabrics, glass, jewellery, carpets and even in the form of body art.

He now lives and works in Bridport, Dorset on the south west coast of the UK.

His first exhibition in the UK was in 1989 when he exhibited in St Martin in the Fields, London and much like the monks, druids and bards who went through a minimum of twenty years rigorous training, he now feels 19 years later that he is entering a new level of maturity.

He says, "I always hope that when viewed my art has beauty and can project feelings, bringing you closer to the hidden veil, and perhaps even help you on your own spiritual or special journey to that which is within us all, the path to personal self realisation or enlightenment".

A gifted natural healer, spiritual speaker and channel Courtney experienced awakening at Christmas 2007 when he underwent a profound metamorphosis which is further enriching his creativity, paintings and artwork.