AN artist from Great Harwood is looking to bring taxidermy to the people with a new run of classes at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery.

Nicola Hebson's anthromorphic strand of the ancient art has won her rave reviews on the BBC, Channel 4, ITV's This Morning and The History Channel.

And now the 25-year-old is back on home soil to share her passion with the next generation of trainee taxidermists, fashioning lifelike mouse recreations in everyday settings.

The 23-year-old has previously worked with the Blackburn is Open initiative and is well-regarded throughout her sphere for her thought-provoking creations.

Perhaps the most stunning of these was a piece, based around German folklore, entitled Rat King, which saw seven rodents connected by their tails, holding a sliver of quartz crystal. Others include 2012's

Her talents have been featured at the museum previously and she is looking forward to the new series of sessions.

Nicola, a fine art graduate at Lancaster University, said: "Some are evening classes and some are day classes, in order to accommodate everyone.

“It is very popular with women but everyone is welcome to come along and you get all kinds of people attending. Sometimes people even bring along their children, which is okay just as long as they are responsible for them.”

The four-hour beginners' classes are on various Tuesdays over the next two months, starting on November 18, from 6pm, with the same timings on December 2. Daytime workshops will be on November 25 and December 9 from noon to 4pm.

Away from taxidermy, she is also an accomplished painter staging exhibitions in London, Manchester and East Lancashire, and she runs Dead Good Jewellery, with naturally deceased insects and smaller creatures as starting points.

Speaking on her inspiration previously, she said: "I have been doing the same body of work throughout my life; it is just a reflection of where I am at that point in my life and my journey, kind of seamless really, with no beginning and no end."

No chemicals are used in the classes and all materials will be provided. Places can be booked on the new courses, which are priced £50, by calling 0744 5952934 or by e-mailing nicolajhebson@gmail.com