IT'S every artist's dream to be able to make a living from their art — and to boast a list of celebrity clientele is just a bonus.

But both are a reality for one Worcester painter, who can now say she has painted for stars of the musical world, including Rihanna, Drake, Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj.

Aymi Duignan, aged 22, said she "couldn't believe it" when American singer and rapper, Trey, presented a picture she had painted of pop star, Nicki, on stage at one of her concerts.

"Trey started following me on Instagram about three years ago after he saw a painting I did for Rihanna. I painted a picture of him and he loved it, and he commissioned me to paint Nicki Minaj," Miss Duignan, who lives in St John's, said.

"I met him backstage at his concert with Nicki in Birmingham and gave him the picture. He said he was going to give it to Nicki in Glasgow at their last concert in the tour on April 12.

"Then suddenly during the Glasgow concert, he came out on stage and presented the picture to her and she loved it. It was amazing and I couldn't believe he would do that. It was such a surprise. I'm a huge fan of them both so it was an incredible experience, my family and friends can't believe it. I'm so grateful and honoured that Trey and Nicki would offer their support like this."

The former Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College student said the celebrity backing has lead to a huge boost in hits on her website and social media pages.

"I studied graphic design at what was Worcester College of Technology and then at the University of Birmingham. People would tell me that I would find it hard to make a living out of art, but three years ago I started my own business, AymsDesigns. I had no idea if it would still be here today but it is and I'm doing really well. As well as paintings, I also have my own clothing and accessories brand. A lot of my clients are in America but I've sold paintings to 18 different countries so far, I'm just trying to focus on getting a bigger client base in the UK now."

To start, Miss Duignan has set her sights on London.

"I have a new collection I'm working on right now, which I'm really hoping to get in a gallery rather than just online. The gallery I'm aiming for is in London, so hopefully that will be the next thing for me."

To view Miss Duignan's work, visit aymsdesigns.com.