Mothers-to-be are turning their baby bumps into artworks in new trend

A bizarre trend has hit the UK which sees mothers-to-be celebrating their pregnancy by commissioning artists to paint their baby bumps.

The temporary artworks can cost anywhere between £40 to £500 and designs range from baby scan murals to cartoon characters.

This week, BBC Radio 5Live presenter Emma Barnett posted a photo of her decorated bump on Instagram.

Her chosen artwork showed a Lion’s face surrounded by a flower garland.

The presenter captioned the photo: “Six weeks ago our little lion roared his way into our lives.

“I call this the ‘Art Before The Storm’. Big thanks to the hugely talented @imakefings for the beautiful belly art and experience.”

The trend has recently caught on in the UK after celebrities posted photos of their artwork on social media.

Kate Winslet and Mariah Carey both posted pictures of their painted bellies when they were pregnant.

Body art experts said painting sessions are often given as baby shower gifts.

Joanna Delilah, 44, a make-up artist and bump painter in Bristol told The Times: “This last year it’s got so much busier, because the first thing anyone does nowadays when they get one done is put it on Facebook. I get recommendations through that.

“Mums love it because it’s such a novelty. The photos become a keepsake. It washes off but lasts as a memory.”

Emma Allen, 37, the London artist who painted Ms Barnett’s lion said customers often take photos of the painting and put them in their baby’s bedroom.

She said designs range from simple to complex with one woman wanting a design based on the old nursery rhyme The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.

Ms Barnett told the paper: “I thought, what an amazing way to commemorate this thing my body has done."

“I don’t think I’ve seen a photo of my mum pregnant. You almost forget to record that bit, because all the photos that become important are actually of the child.”

Painters use high-quality body art paint which does not harm the skin and can be washed off easily.

Celebrities including Winslet and actress Milla Jovovich posed with their bump paintings for a charity book The Belly Art Project to raise funds for a safe childbirth charity in 2016.