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A 14-year-old schoolgirl who took up painting during the first Covid-19 lockdown will have her portrait of a neighbour displayed at the Royal Academy.
Makenzy Beard borrowed paints and brushes from her mother and began working on canvasses inside her garden shed in Gower, southwest Wales, to pass the time.
She later submitted a portrait of her neighbour for a place in a prestigious exhibition - and beat 33,000 other entrants to gain a slot.
Her painting, called John Tucker, is based on a photograph of a farmer who lives next door and took around 20 hours to complete over a three-week period.
Ms Beard, of Oxwich, said: 'I started painting in lockdown a year ago. It started as a little lockdown hobby and escalated from there really.
Makenzy Beard (pictured alongside the painting), 14, borrowed paints and brushes from her mother and began working on canvasses inside her garden shed in Gower, southwest Wales
Her painting (above), called John Tucker, is based on a photograph of a farmer who lives next door and took around 20 hours to complete over a three-week period
'I had some free time on my hands and my mum used to love to paint so we had paints and canvasses and brushes. I thought "why not give it a try?"
'I've always loved creative things but up
