Body painters

Body Painters,Skin Canvas,

You look pretty as a picture: Body Paint Festival draws in the artists who believe their skin is a canvas

Last updated at 7:04 PM on 16th August 2010 to My Stories

Some artists like to get under the skin of their subjects but others - like the ones that created these stunning pieces of body art - prefer to use it to create the art itself.

The models in these pictures braved an unkind day of wind and rain to bare all and become works of art.

They were taking part in the fourth annual UK Body Paint Festival outside Ashford in Kent. 

I'm made up: Jade Webb, 20, was painted for the nursery rhymes themed contest with this design entitled There Was An Old Woman

Jade stands as still as she can as two painters go about covering her body with an image linked to the theme of nursery rhymes

Ann Igwell is one of the festival’s main organisers, said she was delighted with the turnout of some 400 people.

An experienced body artist herself, Ann has been painting bodies for years, and enjoys some of the unique artistic challenges it brings up.

She said: 'It is a challenge, not just because of the bumps and lumps.

'Painting on skin can be difficult and you’ve got things like sweating you have to take into account. 

'You have to think about the person’s shape and you might have to hide a few things.'

Artists, models and vendors came from as far as Belgium, Leeds, Dorset, Brighton, London, Hampshire, and Bristol and all over Kent for the two day event.

The unusual suspects: The models stand before the judges at the nursery rhymes themed competition

That's a nice coat: Miss Webb, left, had a separate design on her front, Oranges And Lemons, while the images on Ilka Evers, 27, were inspired by Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary 

The high points of the festival were the two daily competitions in which artists have to summon up all their creativity in a timed challenge to be judged at the end of the day.

On the first day artists are given pre-warning about the theme, which this year was musicality, but on the second day the theme is chosen in the morning and artists have to think creatively on the spot.

They then had five hours to design a painting to suit the theme, which this year was nursery rhymes, and turn their vision into a reality.

'This was the fourth UK Body Painting Festival and its aim was to encourage everyone to accept this medium as a respectable form of art expression and not associate it with any form of titillation,' said Ann.

'The skin is just a canvas. The theme for day one was Musicality and for day two, Nursery Rhymes and both days produced a colourful riot of talented paintings. The standard was incredibly high.'

Fae Marie Morgan, left, used the rhymes of Jack And Jill as well as Little Miss Muffet for her look. While Jess Harling, 18, models her Humpty Dumpty image. On her front she opted for an interpretation of Hey Diddle Diddle

(source:dailymail.co.uk)