Until recently Heather Sharp was just one of many frustrated artists who, owing to the demands of parenthood, never found time to paint.

However, just five years after she dusted off her paintbrush and took up body painting she now proudly sits in her Kings Langley living room as an award-winning artist.

The former art teacher turned antiques dealer was crowned the best body artist in the country at a national convention two weeks ago.

And following years of practising painting the faces of her three children - Elena, Moss and Louie – she is now hoping to develop her own business.

“It started with face painting,” the 51-year-old explained this week.

“It was my friend Juliette who got me into it. She is a friend and had been painting for about 12 years and was one painter short for a family funday she was doing.

”I was an artist but didn’t do anything.

“So she asked me to do it and I just sort of said I haven’t got time and it’s not really for me. She pressurised me and eventually I said yes and I just got hooked.

“Now I love it.”

Having had her zest for art reinvigorated, Heather set up her own body and face painting company and entered the world body painting contest earlier this year, coming a credible tenth.

She then put herself in for this year’s national awards with every intention of doing better.

The ceremony, held in Telford, saw each entrant design and paint their canvass – a human body – then photograph the result and send the entry in.

However, following a hectic day painting her model, Heather, of Toms Lane, thought her chances had evaporated.

“The day was like a Monty Python sketch really.

“My friend Juliette was there with her model, I was there with my model and then the photographer came to take the photos.

“I thought my kids were at school but they finished at 12pm and suddenly came home with about ten of their friends.”

As she tried to bring her design to life Heather found herself having to simultaneously rustle up shepherds pie for the children.

However, that wasn’t quite the end of her manic day.

“We had ordered a bigger fridge and then that arrived at the same time.

“Then we couldn’t get it through the front door so we were rushing around tying to do that as well.

“It was just madness.”

This year’s theme was All Star Americana and Heather’s winning design featured a bald eagle clutching dollar notes, while her model was dressed as the Statue of Liberty “I tried to think of the most powerful images of America.

“I just tried to think about what comes to mind when you think of America and at the minute it was this idea of greed.”

She added: “I couldn’t believe I had won.

“When they called my name out I walked a few steps and then looked back because I couldn’t believe it.

”I was just so, so excited.”