Demo Artist: Erica Walsh

🎨 Meet Erica Walsh

A talented face and body artist based in the beautiful Cotswolds. Erica first picked up a paintbrush in 2006 while recovering from a stroke that brought her nursing career to an end. With a lifelong love of art and a background in art studies before nursing, she soon discovered a new creative path that allowed her to express herself in a completely different way. By 2009, her artistry had evolved into body painting, where she found a fresh outlet for her imagination and skill.

Erica has developed a distinctive style that others describe as full of wispy swirls and fine details, though she modestly admits she doesn’t set out to follow a particular pattern. Her light, intricate touch has become her signature, giving her work a delicate, flowing quality that clients and fellow artists admire.

One of the standout moments in Erica’s career came in 2009 when she painted a beautiful baby bump and decided to send a photo to BBC Wales, where she was living at the time. The BBC got in touch and asked her to paint a pregnant reporter who was 37 weeks along. The story went live on the BBC Wales website and quickly went viral, even reaching the BBC Worldwide homepage. The sudden buzz led to interviews with radio stations, newspapers and magazines, and most importantly, it helped raise the profile of bump painting in a big way.

When it comes to inspiration, Erica often paints ad-lib at bookings, drawing on her experience and the preferences of her clients. She loves responding to children’s requests, who she says are often more specific about their ideas than adults! For body painting projects, she enjoys doing a bit of research and often finds inspiration in unexpected places. A recent example was a torso design inspired by an incredible tattoo she’d seen.

Outside of face painting, Erica has a fun claim to fame – she used to be a majorette and still has her original baton from 43 years ago, which she can still twirl! 💫

After nearly two decades in the industry, Erica is thrilled to be taking part in the FACE Conference 2026, where she will be demoing for the very first time. She’s looking forward to connecting with fellow artists and sharing her passion for designs that are not only beautiful but practical for everyday bookings.

Her live demo will feature a Christmas Butterfly, a festive and elegant design that’s perfect for the upcoming season. Erica hopes that attendees will leave her session inspired and confident enough to recreate her ideas in their own work. As she puts it with a smile, she chose the theme because, “I can hear Mariah defrosting somewhere… it will soon be December!” 🎅🦋

Watch Erica live on our Facebook page on Thursday, 20th November at 19:30

If you are interested in finding out more about our upcoming FACE conference, just click the button below…