Your Stories

“When I was about seven months pregnant,” explains CJ. “My mother, who is also an artist, brought some plaster bandage round my house and said ‘shall we have a go at casting your belly?’ I looked like a giant walrus but we had a go at it and it came out beautifully, and I was hooked.”

“I’ve never looked back it’s been a huge whirlwind ever since. There aren’t many lifecasters in the world let alone the country – most in this country either work in the film industry for bodies to be blown up or prosthetic make-up; or they are stay-at-home mums just doing the baby feet. There are very few female life casters who will do all body parts, right up to full bodies. So I’m quite unusual and not short of business – people seek me out and it’s something different everyday.”

If she had the opportunity to cast anybody she wanted, her choice would be a popular favourite amongst the ladies. “I would love to cast Robbie Williams’ bottom, cover it in gold metal and auction it for a prostate cancer charity because my dad had prostate cancer last year. But I haven’t worked up the courage to ask him yet!” laughs CJ. “I would also like to do David Beckham’s feet - with his boots on – I think that would be fabulous.”

CJ is embarking on a project with fellow lifecaster Andre Masters which will formulate a collection of face casts of famous people. The concept is predominately for partially sighted and blind people giving them the opportunity to explore the famous faces that they have never seen. “This idea really inspires me,” says CJ. “Because it’s such a touchy feely art form it will also appeal to sighted people. By turning lighting down sighted people will be forced to explore with their hands and see if they can recognise faces through touch.”