Swansea's Makenzy Beard features in Portrait Artist of the Year
19-year-old Swansea artist Makenzy Beard is set to compete in the TV show Portrait Artist of the Year. Beard, who gained recognition during the Covid lockdown, has already sold paintings for thousands of pounds and raised significant funds for charity.
Why it matters
Highlights the rise of self-taught young artists gaining mainstream recognition and the impact of digital-age exposure on traditional art careers.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Ben Price BBC Wales Makenzy paints at her studio on the Gower A 19-year-old painter from Swansea who has sold artwork for tens of thousands of pounds is due to appear on the TV art competition, Portrait Artist of the Year.
Makenzy Beard discovered her talent for painting during the Covid lockdown after she decided to try out her mother's old paint brushes in the garden shed .
She said she felt "up for the challenge" of painting celebrity sitters in front of TV cameras and a highly respected panel of judges.
Beard is currently putting together her second collection of work, which will include about 20 paintings that reflect her "view of the world" and interest in philosophy.
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