Artist paints messages sent from the spirits of dead people

As she snips away at a blonde bob, hairdresser Shelley Youell looks just like the rest of us. But, when she gets home, an altogether different force takes over.

The 43-year-old mum-of-one paints beautiful paintings full of messages, which she says are passed on by the spirits of the dead!

Shelley says the paintings give people comfort and guidance (PA)

Shelley says she’s always been able to sense spooky spirits.

“I’ve never been able to see them, I can only sense them, but I’ve never been scared,” she explains. “I allow the spirits to get close to me then so I can hear and feel them. I sense who they are, and picture what they want me to paint.”

Her creations are usually guardian angels or landscapes, and they contain messages intended for a specific recipient.

“Some are meant to guide people, others help people’s confidence,” she explains. “They comfort people, help them to talk about how they’re feeling, and heal them.”

Her artwork is mainly landscapes or guardian angels (PA)

Realising the spirits had always been there for her, and wanting to develop her ability, Shelley started a course in spiritualism shortly after her mum Janet’s death in 2008 at the age of 54.

It was there that she found she was able to pass on information from the other side to fellow classmates.

“When I saw their reactions, I felt confident I had the ability to become a medium to help others,” Shelley says. “Some of them said they could see my mum watching over me, and they passed on her messages to me too, which brought me comfort. After that everything made sense, I’d found my calling in life.”

Shelly became interested in spirits after her mum Janet died (PA)

Shelley became a member of the Spiritualists’ National Union, an organisation that promotes spiritualism as a way of life, helping people to bring out the best in themselves and others.

In 2011 Shelley found spirit art, and began to pass on these messages using paint.

She says: “I knew it wasn’t healthy to bottle things up and felt inspired to paint. As soon as I did, my mood lifted. Then one day I sensed someone telling me to put down the brush and work with my hands.

She says she’s not scared by the spirits (PA)

“Sensing the spirits all around me, I let them guide me, and started to paint angelic figures with my fingers. With each painting I did, I understood what they meant.”

Word soon got around and Shelley began painting on commission. She says all she needs before doing a painting is the name of the person requesting it.

“I hear from people who are open to spiritualism and drawn to my paintings. I’ll usually record myself talking for 30 minutes about who the spirit is. I’ll explain my visions and what message the spirit has for them.”

She can paint a message from a spirit with just the name of a dead person (PA)

Sometimes, Shelley doesn’t know who the intended recipient of a painting is.

“When this happens, the spirits come to me and I just paint. I then share these paintings online in the hope of finding the people they belong to.”

The price of Shelley’s other worldly creations varies depending on the size of the piece.

“With the help of the deceased, I’ve found my purpose in life,” she says.