The Court of Imagination in Bloom
In every culture and throughout time, flowers have been central to the human experience. Whether growing wild or in gardens, blooming in works of art or written into the pages of literature, flowers have always surrounded and inspired us.
With breathtaking flair, the Court of Imagination in Bloom brought to life an enchanting journey throughout time and around the globe with tales of the legendary and symbolic meaning attached to some of our most beloved flowers. This court explored how these treasured creations have inspired the myths and legends, beliefs and sentiments, and celebrations and ceremonies we know so well today. The dresses and trains of this court illuminated these tales, showcasing the brilliance of human imagination through a dazzling display of glittering dresses, sparkling trains, and radiant smiles.
Court Artist / Designer
Each year a Court artist/designer is carefully selected to create the Coronation Court dresses and trains. The artist’s designs are a reflection of that year’s inspiration and theme. The designer specifically chosen this year to bring Imagination in Bloom to life is artist, Shelly Porter.
Shelly Porter, an abstract artist who works primarily in watercolor and acrylic, grew up and spent most of her life along the Texas coast — first in Corpus Christi and most recently a little further north in the Houston area.
For Shelly, fine art in its purest form has always inspired her and brought her a true sense of self. As such, it was natural for Shelly to take her innate artistic talent combined with her interior design degree earned at the University of Texas at Austin, and her post graduate study in fine art at Del Mar College, and move into expressing herself through painting.
Essentially a self-taught artist, Shelly began painting in earnest following her experience with cancer. As a cancer survivor, art brought Shelly to a new place providing her with an outlet for spiritual and gestural expression on canvas and simultaneously offering a language that could not be put into words; one she considers to be “soul speak”– a language of the soul.
Circular shapes – serving as symbolic meanings for sacredness, eternity, wholeness, isolation and boundaries – are visual elements often found in her work. And she continually explores the physical and physiological effects of color, shape, form and movement within herself and how they come together to connect and touch the viewer. Her work – as she creates it and shares it – is designed to visually inspire the mind and, in turn, deeply touch the soul.