A painting of the Glasgow actress who became famous following her appearance at the viral Willy Wonka experience is to feature in two popular art galleries in the city.
The artwork features actress Kirsty Paterson, 29, who is dressed as an Oompa Loompa wearing an orange traffic cone on her head. The piece will be launched at the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art next Friday.
Prints will then go on sale at GOMA, which held Banksy’s Cut & Run exhibition, as well as at the city’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery, reports the Daily Record.
A portion of the profits from the sales of the artwork by Glaswegian artist Ashley Rawson, 49, will go to the charity ADHD UK.
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Paterson, went viral after a photograph of her at the Willy Wonka Experience event in Glasgow , looking miserable circulated on social media. She said: “The one thing that has happened throughout all of this and why I have become semi-famous is the art element.
“There have been animations and it is insane the work I am getting out of this.
“When Ashley sent me the picture and I loved it and the fact that I had the cone on my head.
“It was something I wanted to go forward with.”
Glasgow’s Willy Wonka Experience was so shambolic it was created into a TV documentary.
Paterson has returned from the US where she appeared as the special guest at a recreation of the Willy Wonka Experience in Los Angeles.
She added: “The Wonka Experience has put Glasgow on the map.
“People in America told me they didn’t know where Glasgow was until this came up.”
Rawson, who also works as a part-time graphic design lecturer at the City of Glasgow college, said: “Kirsty has been away in America and we are talking about a proper launch for the painting.
“She has received lots of art from different artists but she wants this to be our official portrait just like King Charles has his big red one.
“It will be launched at GOMA next Friday at 12 noon.
“Kirsty has a film crew coming and we are going to unveil the painting outside GOMA at the Duke of Wellington statue ahead of a question and answer session before Glasgow Museums announce the new print and official portrait.
“Kirsty was keen for there to be a charity aspect.
“A percentage of the sale from prints will be split between myself, Kirsty and ADHD UK.
“Then on the anniversary of the Wonka event we plan to sell the original painting and 25% of the proceeds will go to ADHD UK.
“The prop of the original will be on display in the GOMA window and inside GOMA people will be able to buy prints of the painting.
“It will go on sale at GOMA and it is likely it will be for sale at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery as well.
“I will be bringing the original painting to GOMA.
“We are hoping to maintain a relationship with Glasgow Museums and we hope we can do the auction for the original painting at GOMA as well.”
The original Willy Wonka Experience became a viral hit in March for all the wrong reasons.
Angry parents who took their kids were furious after they were ushered into a sparsely-filled warehouse that featured a few Wonka-themed decorations and a bouncy castle in the corner.
Promised chocolate fountains and “chocolatey delights” were conspicuously absent.
Instead children were given two jelly beans upon entry.
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The organiser of the event, local businessman Billy Coull, was forced to shut the doors after only half a day when the police were called to deal with angry customers.
Commenting on the new artwork, Paterson said: “Kelvingrove and GOMA are amazing art galleries.
“I look nothing like the picture which is another reason it is popular. It’s an exaggeration.
“It’s life changing what is happening with me.
“The world is uncertain but the opportunities are insane.
“I don’t want to do anything other than acting and presenting.
“It’s really good and it’s what I’m born to do.
“The whole experience has been unreal.”
The artwork will receive its official launch at GOMA next Friday at 12 noon.
Prints will then be available priced £45.
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