HOLLYWOOD legend Marilyn Monroe is the latest icon to be immortalised in clay by Bournemouth sculptor Linda Joyce.

Following her huge success creating bronzes of Amy Winehouse and Jimi Hendrix, Linda turned her attention to the tragic film star.

She has spent three months working on a clay bust of a young Marilyn, which will be bronzed and made into a limited edition of 12.

The sculpture will then be offered for sale through an auction in New York in November, along with the bust of Jimi Hendrix.

Linda said: “I’m doing a whole series of sculptures called ‘Icons and Legends’ and how can you leave Marilyn out?

“She’s so beautiful, I knew she would be a pleasure to do but she was also the most challenging of all the ones I have done.

“She doesn’t have the same character to her face as Amy (Winehouse) has. She has Barbie-doll good looks and it’s very hard to translate the way she came to life in front of a camera.

“I didn’t want to do her in the classic eyes half-shut, mouth open pose. I wanted to capture her vulnerability and her fragile nature so I chose to capture her as she was in her early days, when she was first famous.”

Linda, whose studio is in Pokesdown, is currently displaying her work at the Shards exhibition, which is at the BIC until August 31. Visitors to the exhibition can see her in action as she works on a sculpture of Muhammad Ali.

Visitors can also be in with a chance of winning Linda’s sculpture of David Beckham in return for a donation to charity Patchwork Kids.

For more information on Linda’s icons and legends series, visit iconsandlegends.net