Okehampton bodypainter Niki Etheridge is one of only 15 artists across the UK to win a place at a national competition in Cheltenham this July.

Niki, who has previously used her bodypainting skills to raise awareness of endometriosis — a condition where tissue similar to that found in the womb grows outside the uterus — received the news last week and will be competing against other high-profile bodypainters, at the Fantasy Forest Festival this summer.

On receiving the news, Niki said: ‘I’m really excited. It’s a big deal. The self-doubt is there because I know some of the painters and they’re good, they’ve worked on the Naked Attraction TV show and they’ve like they’ve competed all around the country and in Gibraltar as well.

‘They’ve done loads of big competitions and there’s little old me and my style of art is so different to them, which is probably a good thing. It’s definitely an honour.

Niki admitted that her the news was very welcome as it had given her a huge confidence boost, particularly since the last year had been ‘a difficult ride.’

‘It’s just given me an extra boost of confidence. Just knowing that I’ve been picked,’ she added.

Niki is now planning her entry, which she says is key to a successful competition, particularly when the painting process can take anywhere up to seven hours to complete.

Niki herself suffers from endometriosis which can cause her a lot of pain and discomfort and said she has experienced ‘flare ups’ while painting in previous competitions.

‘I do struggle with flare ups during the time,’ she said.

‘I’ve got to do it properly. I’ve got to plan it out, so making sure that [my model] has sat down for a certain amount of time when I do her face.

‘If I’m doing the upper body, I need to think about whether she can still be sitting down before I tell her she needs to stand up for three hours while I do her legs. But, I do get an assistant for this competition.’

The Fantasy Forest Festival takes place at Sudeley Castle in Cheltenham. The first event was held in 2019 and was set up by festival-goers who wanted to host an event for fantasy, sci-fi, comic and history enthusiasts.

In March this year, Niki organised a lip art campaign and posted daily lip art creations on social media in order to raise greater awareness of endometriosis which affects one in ten women.

During her awareness campaign which she carries out each March — the designated endometriosis awareness month — Niki said she wished to raise greater awareness of the condition as many of the symptoms are similar to other diseases which doctors often investigate first.Anyone wishing to sponsor Niki can do so through PayPal with the link: Once Upon a Body ([email protected]).