A popular local artist is giving one particular installation something of a make-over.

The Children’s Centre has called upon the Ramsey-based painter Michael Starkey to give its donations box a fresh coat of paint.

The box is in fact a life-size reproduction of a cow, and is situated in the departures lounge in the Sea Terminal, and Michael was given the task of creating a new look.

’We are converting this cow, which was only covered in blue before with the word "play" across it.

’I thought that I would paint some scenes of the local landscape over it, and I’ve decided to cover it in a design that includes a jumbled-together scene of Cregneash over it.

’I also thought that it would go well together with some Celtic knot-work designs on the face. The finished thing will almost look like a piece of delftware, which is the blue-and-white china plate design.

’I had the idea that it could look almost like the Indian painted cows you see, covered in symbols.’

Michael said that there was also a competition running to name the cow, where people could submit their ideas either through Facebook or at the Sea Terminal.

’Two children from the Children’s Centre looked through the entries and decided that they liked the name ’M00-nannan’, the best,’ he said.

The cow was originally part of an island-wide ’cow parade’, which took place in 2003.