As the Olympic spectacle continues to bedazzle the world, images of our athletes blaze from every quarter.
But perhaps for the first time the familiar features of Westcountry athletes Ben Ainslie and Tom Daley have been captured on the grey of Cornish slate.
The young artist behind the unusual canvas is 23-year-old Anika Manuel from St Austell, Cornwall.
This week London is abuzz with Olympic spirit and Anika is in the capital to take part in the "20:12" art exhibition.
Twelve of a collective of artists called DegreeArt joined forces to create 20 portraits to celebrate British athletics and the spirit of the historical event.
DegreeArt is an organisation which pushes artwork by students and recent graduates.
Each of the artists involved in the show selected an athlete or aspect of the games on which to base their artwork.
Anika studied at Truro College before winning a place at Chelsea College of Art and Design studying a BA, which she finished last year.
She said: "I paint on Cornish slate – which I think is completely unique – as well as portraits on canvas.
"I'm championing Westcountry athleticism and waving the flag for us in London.
"My passion is for the flat, found image and its subsequent translation into painting.
"I work predominantly from photographs and images in magazines."
Anika began using Cornish slate when she spotted some left-over roof tiles from her grandfather's house lying around.
To create the portraits she first takes a pencil and draws an image on the slate before picking up her paint brush to dip into a pot of white undercoat. Carefully, she fills in the outline with the undercoat and leaves it to dry. With a swift hand, Anika then applies a palette of colourful acrylics to complete her creation.
She said: "I have to work fast because acrylics dry instantly and you only get one go.
"When the paint dries it has the most lovely texture and the background – the slate – is often really interesting in itself because of the wonderful orange streaks running through it.
"You can find pieces of slate all over Cornwall just lying by the side of the road. Although quite often I will rummage around in skips to reclaim any roof tiles that have been chucked away."
The exhibition runs until September 26 at DegreeArt's Execution Room at 12A Vyner Street, Hackney.
