A woman from Shropshire has earned £1,200 selling paintings created by her pet pigeons on the second-hand clothing app Vinted. Sophie James, 21, from Ellesmere, uses her pigeons' feet to apply paint to miniature canvases, creating unique artworks that sell for £8 each.
Ms James, who works as an adult support worker, was inspired by her friend Ella Woodland, 19, who had success selling paintings made by her pet rats. She began listing the pigeon paintings on Vinted in March 2025 and now posts up to five pieces weekly.
Speaking about her unusual venture, Ms James said: 'I try and do it when they are babies so they get used to it and kind of grow it once they begin racing. It was just my friend with the rat paintings, she said 'do it with the pigeons' so I gave it a go.'
The artist uses four breeds of pigeon – grizzle, check pied, blue bar and mealy – and has trained seven birds to create the paintings. She applies paint to their feet and lets them walk across the canvas, switching colours as they go.
Ms James admits that most of the profits go back to caring for the pigeons, covering food costs and entry fees for races. She said: 'Mainly it goes towards the pigeons for the corn and putting them into races basically.' Her friends and family have been supportive, with many saying she 'should have thought of this before'.
