Astronaut, author and artist Nicole Stott has designed a dolphin sculpture for The Big Splash, this year’s Hospice Isle of Man’s ‘Wild in Art’ fundraising campaign.

The veteran NASA astronaut, married to Manxman Chris Stott of ManSat, drew on her spaceflight experiences as inspiration for the design, which will be painted by island artist Kate Summerville.

Ms Stott’s ‘Space Dolphin’ will be among more than 30 other sculptures of dolphins and their calves to feature in an island-wide public art discovery trail this summer.

She was the first astronaut to have painted with watercolours on a spaceflight.

Ms Stott said: ‘I wanted my design to convey the message that my Space Dolphin is on a mission that’s “off the Earth but for the Earth”, and for it to illustrate the vital connection between personal and planetary wellbeing. That message has been brilliantly interpreted by Kate.’

Hospice Isle of Man chief executive Anne Mills added: ‘All of us at Hospice have been truly overwhelmed and not a little humbled by the amazing response we’re seeing to The Big Splash.

‘This stellar collaboration between Nicole and Kate is yet another example of how The Big Splash is inspiring artists and designers “to boldly go” in support of Hospice Isle of Man’.

The dolphin sculptures, along with a number of calves, will be displayed around the island from May to September this year.

It follows the success of the Wallabies Gone Wild art trail in 2019.

The 12-week trail will encourage residents and visitors to journey around the island to many coastal locations and towns to find all of the sculptures, just as the Wallabies Gone Wild trail did.

It aims to bring together businesses, the creative sectors and schools in the island to celebrate the community and creativity of the island and its marine environments.

Schools and youth groups will be designing the art for the calves. By joining the education programme, each school, nursery of education provider has pledged to raise a minimum of £1,000 for Hospice Isle of Man over the next 12 months.

In return they have received a blank dolphin calf sculpture to keep, decorate and display.