Breast Plates

Last night I painted my left boob blue, stuck it to a plate and drew on a yellow nipple. Why? For my good friend Alex. Err... Why? Because she asked me to. A weird fetish? No, unfortunately not. It was all in aid of the Beat Breast Cancer Campaign from Cancer Research UK. Let me explain:

When an invite plopped into my Facebook inbox to come along and show my support for beating breast cancer at Pottery Cafe, Fulham (one of my favourite places on earth), I couldn't, and wouldn't, say no. The deal was for £20 you would go along, do a 'boob print', have some nibbles, chat to other girls and have entry to an exhibition in a few weeks time to see the finished articles (a Gallery of Boobs, if you will). I was all for coming along and showing my support (ahem), but I was entirely apprehensive about dipping the tit. Would I have to get my bangers out in public? Or would my boob be different/weird/massive compared to others? But lovely Alex, on the door as I came in to say hello, put me at ease and within a finger click I was choosing my colours, and being escorted downstairs to a make-shift sheet-tent (very prettily decorated with appropriately pink bunting).

The girl downstairs gamely demonstrated what I needed to do (I still was feeling entirely like I was about to go into the scariest job interview ever). Then I went behind the sheet and got to it. And it was fun. Once done, my fellow paintees and I agreed that it felt a little bit naughty, ('Painting our boobs on a rainy Thursday in Fulham? Whatever next?!') but not that weird, not as weird as I, or they, thought it would be. Hurrah. Once done I was chuffed with my masterpiece: simple, direct to the point, neatly round and not too over the top. I say 'not too over the top', because as I left one girl was turning her boob print into a fried egg, another was excitedly printing stars round hers. All ingenious, and, if I'd had more time, I would have gone down that route. But with my time constraints, straight up simple was how it went.

Later I skipped off merrily into the night, buzzing from having done something different and slightly scary (I'd imagined). Alex organised this evening because her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and was inspired by her positive outlook, wanting to emulate that through the event, she said: 'Although she'd been through this horrible thing, she was still feminine. It's about all of us showing solidarity in the face of something that can leave women feeling completely helpless. Showing that no matter what, what size or shape, or whether you have no boobs, scarred boobs, one boob or two ginormous boobs, you're proud of how you look and what you've come through.' Wiser words couldn't be truer, and I feel entirely humbled, as I spend endless amounts of time wishing bits of me looked different, when actually I should be happy I've got everything in tact, and it's (so far) working! Alex and her wonderful helpers made over £550 last night, and, no doubt about it, will make lots more over the next coming weeks.

If you would like to go to Pottery Cafe, Fulham and do a breast plate, then please contact 020 7736 2157, to see if they can squeeze you in (or just pop in and ask) - they will be continuing this, informally, for the next week. And if you would like to come to the exhibition to see the finished pieces, including mine, then turn up on Thursday 25 October, 7.30-10pm. Only £5 entry, with the majority of all proceeds going to Beat Breast Cancer.



Thanks to Alex O'Byrne for the photos.