A woman has created beautiful paintings – using her menstrual blood – in the tradition of ancient female cave painters.

Jess Cummin, 20, a painting and print making student at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art and Design – which includes Charles Rennie Macintosh among its alumni – started using her period blood in October 2015.

Now she has created six paintings, featuring women meditating and she even hangs one in her home.

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Jess Cummin, 20, a painting and print making student at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art and Design uses her menstrual blood to replicate

Jess replicates ancient cave paintings by collecting her menstrual blood on a brush or using tampons

Jess hopes to continue to make them and sell them one day.

'I'd be surprised if anyone wanted to buy one, but flattered. 'I think people think it's gross but it's not.'

Jess, from Golders Green, north London, takes between five and 25 minutes to create each picture, and says it is a slow creative process, given that she can only paint with her blood when her period comes each month.

She paints it by collecting her menstrual blood on a brush or using tampons.

The creation of the paintings is a slow process given that Jess can only paint with her blood when her period comes each month

The student admits that her flatmates have unfollowed her on social media as they weren't keen on seeing her artworkd

She then waits for the canvas or paper to dry, which takes a few minutes.

Overnight the colour of the blood changes from a bright red to a darker red-brown tone as the blood dries.

'Other people use oils or charcoal – this is no different,' she claimed, explaining how in the future she intended to mix her blood with ink, to intensify the texture.

Jess displays her finished artwork on social media but she has encountered heavy criticism from strangers, but even some friends.

Jess says she was inspired to work in this way, after she started menstruating one day when she was working with watercolour paints, pastels and pens

People have told Jess they feel uncomfortable and disturbed by her paintings, but she insists there is nothing 'disgusting' about the process

'They've been said they feel uncomfortable and been disturbed by it,' she said.

'My pictures aren't disgusting and neither is painting with the blood, if you're hygienic and wash your hands.

'Some people think the paintings will stink, but painting with blood doesn't smell, nor does my artwork.

'I think all women should try painting with their blood. It's cathartic.'

Jess' family appreciate her artwork, made from period blood – but don't own any paintings

Jess, pictured with her friend Ben, said that many people have been supportive once they got used to the idea

The budding artist says her paintings are inspired by early cave paintings and feature strong female characters

Jess says she was inspired to work in this way, after she started menstruating one day when she was working with watercolour paints, pastels and pens.

She said: 'One day I had a period and thought, I could paint with the blood.

'I'm quite an open-minded person. I paint using used tampons, or collecting the blood on a brush that I place close to my private parts.

'If I have a heavier period, it's quicker to collect the blood.'

She said her family appreciate her artwork, made from period blood – but don't own any paintings.

Jess Cummin at her sister Emily's graduation. She admitted that her family are very supportive but don't own any of her artwork

She continued: 'My mum, Beverley, 51, finds it quite interesting and told my grandma, Pamela, in her early 80s, about it.

'My mum looked at the figures in the paintings and thought they looked powerful, while my gran said painting with blood was an interesting concept.

'But they didn't seem grossed out by it, which surprised me.

'I don't think they'd try to paint with period blood, but they seem to admire what I've done.'

Jess Cummin with her friends Coco and Ollie. She says that fellow students are less shocked by her creative process

However, Jess' dad, David, 53, was more squeamish.

'He said it's interesting but he doesn't want to know about it.'

Jess, who also makes clay models of vaginas by rolling out pieces of clay, making them in to layers and piecing them together from imagination, was initially anxious about showing anyone her artwork.

She said: 'I was worried about showing people my paintings, because period blood is considered gross. I was scared to hear what they thought, in case they were shocked by me.

'Students seem less shocked, but some people, including male friends, have been repulsed and disgusted by what I do and have trolled me online, saying 'ew'.

'Some of my male flatmates said they had to unfollow me on social media, because they couldn't look at my art.

'But other people have got used to it and have defended me, when they've heard people being negative.'

Single Jess says her paintings are inspired by early cave paintings and feature strong female characters.

'Thousands of years ago, women used to make primal cave paintings using their menstrual blood and they are full of energy,' she explained.