Art tribute to tragic mum wins daughter top marks
A STUDENT who dedicated her art project to painting and sketching her dying mother as a young model was given top marks for the moving work.
Becca Powis stayed at home with cancer-sufferer Denise, 51, after she was given just months to live and the pair looked through the former Miss Wimborne’s old modelling portfolio.
The 17-year-old became so inspired by the pictures, taken in 1980 when her mum was 18, she decided to centre her course work on them.
She created seven pieces including oils, pencil sketches and watercolours. They show the beauty queen posing on a car bonnet, winking into the camera, and portrayed in black and white.
We dug out all these old photos and newspaper cuttings, it was so moving to see her at her most beautiful. When I found out my results I was really pleased and my dad cried
Tragically, mother-of-four Mrs Powis died in December, midway through her daughter’s course, and just three months after her diagnosis of metastatic cancer.
Becca continued working on her A-level project in her mum’s memory and submitted it in May, receiving an A* grade in art.
Becca, who lives with dad Barry, a company director, and siblings Gemma, 16, and twins Ashley and Luke, 13, in Ferndown, Dorset, plans to take an arts foundation course and go to university.
She said: “We dug out all these old photos and newspaper cuttings, it was so moving to see her at her most beautiful. When I found out my results I was really pleased and my dad cried.”