'I earn six figures at 18 after my GCSE coursework went viral'

When her school tweeted a picture of her GCSE art coursework, Makenzy Beard had no idea it would lead her to earn hundreds of thousands from what started as her lockdown hobby.

Now the student from Swansea, South Wales, is raking in more than most people twice her age after the portrait in oil paint went viral and won her a contract with a top Cardiff gallery.

She’s now sold 34 original paintings and more than 50 limited edition prints, some for as much as £25,000, and estimates her total earnings in the last couple of years to be well into the hundreds of thousands.

But Makenzy, 18, has made it her mission to use her talent for good causes and has now been nominated for a prestigious award after raising more than £30,000 for charity - and she's not stopping yet.

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The youngster, who also plays hockey for Wales women’s team said: "I never really thought about whether I could paint or not, I only picked up a brush during lockdown when I was so bored I wanted something to do and I got hooked on it.

"There were some old canvases in the shed from when my mum took up painting a few years ago, and I decided to use them as I hated sitting around doing nothing.

"People started saying they thought my paintings were really good, but I didn’t really believe it myself until my school randomly tweeted one of my pieces of art GCSE coursework. Suddenly, I was getting phone calls from art galleries asking me to do exhibitions.

"It's really never been about the money for me though, and that's why I get so much out of raising money for charity and giving something back."

Makenzy signed with a gallery in Cardiff and put on two sell-out exhibitions before she even left school. She has just finished her A levels, and although she has offers to study philosophy at top universities, she is taking a year out to focus fully on trying to make it in the world of art.

But while she already earns more than she ever expected, she is just as focused on continuing to give back. "When I did the exhibitions, I made it clear I didn’t want any pressure to produce a certain number of paintings or to paint a specific thing. I just wanted to do it for enjoyment and do what came naturally to me," she said.

"What I did know was that I have been so lucky to get all the support I’ve had, not only with my art but with sport and my hockey career too. I went to an amazing school because I got a scholarship to play hockey, but lots of people aren’t so lucky.

"I decided to auction some work for a fund at the school to help other pupils like me who need help with the fees."

Makenzy, who attended Millfield Independent School in Street, Somerset for sixth form has also raised money for her local hockey club and to help Ukrainian refugees. Her wonderful work has also earned her a nomination for a leadership award in the Ascona Group Child of Wales Awards.

She added: "I plan to make enough art this year to put on an exhibition in London next year to raise money for mental health charities. I feel very proud to have been nominated and I don’t know what comes next for me but I hope whatever I do I can still help other people because other people have helped me."

The Ascona Group Child of Wales Awards will take place next month in Swansea: www.nationalchildrenofwalesawards.org/