Student's bogeyman inspired by Billie Eilish song

Student Amy Spencer created her work after listening to a Billie Eilish song

A student who created a bust of a monster set to go on display said she was inspired by singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and an Oscar-winning make-up artist.

The creation by Amy Spencer will be part of the Degree Show at the University of Northampton, which begins on Thursday.

Hosted at the Waterside Campus, the exhibition features work by the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology students in their final year.

Ms Spencer, who is from the town, said she used "hyper-realistic effects to bring the look together".

The student said she began studying hair, make-up and prosthetics at the university after taking up bodypainting during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said she was "really pushing my boundaries of make-up and truly discovering my passion".

"I reached a point where I couldn't teach myself anymore, which was when I discovered the new course at the University of Northampton – and it was the best decision I've ever made," she said.

Ms Spencer said of her work: "I was inspired to create a bogeyman-inspired monster by a lyric from Billie Eilish – 'When we fall asleep, where do we go?'."

The line features in song Bury A Friend, from the US musician's debut album.

"Everyone has a different image in their mind of what the bogeyman looks like, so I created a replica from my own mind."

Ve Neill, whose credits include Mrs Doubtfire and Batman, visited students at the university in 2023

Alongside her studies, Ms Spencer also works with Rutland Musical Theatre. She was the make-up and prosthetic lead for a stage production of Shrek the Musical earlier this year.

She said she was helped by a session put on by the university with three-time Oscar winner Ve Neill.

"When Ve came to campus and led a prosthetics workshop on foam latex, I followed these exact steps for the promo shoot and on-stage looks of Shrek the Musical – I was so pleased with how they turned out," she said.

The Degree Show at the University of Northampton runs until Tuesday next week.