Long queues for Sophie Tea Art at Worcester Salvation Army

British painter Sophie Tea transformed an antique clock from The Salvation Army Donation Centre in St Martin's Quarter into a masterpiece as part of her UK tour. 

The artist had made it her mission to visit the nation's charity shops and use her paintbrush to give often-looked-over items a new lease of life. 

The clock came from The Salvation Army in Worcester. (Image: Sophie Tea) Her mission has led her to gain quite a following with over 750,000 followers on TikTok and 376,000 followers on Instagram.

She bought the item for £5 in Worcester and sold it to the lucky customer for £5.

Sophie is halfway through the first season of her series, Charity Shop Friday, where she visits charity shops across the country, buys an item, paints it that day, and returns it for the same price.

She took the time to meet and greet fans. (Image: Sophie Tea) Throughout her Worcester visit, she dropped clues on her social media channels, leading to an eager crowd of buyers ready to snap up an original Sophie Tea at a fraction of the price.

About 75 people turned up to meet her last weekend and snap pictures with the artist.

Ms Tea said: “Worcester had an absolutely beautiful crowd with a plethora of great charity shops to choose from.

The back of the clock she painted. (Image: Sophie Tea) "It still blows my mind that people turn up all over the country, and I can’t thank you all enough for the support.”

Ms Tea has painted a blue and green female figure on the clock.

The figure had covered the door used to get into the clock's mechanics.

Sophie’s artwork has previously sold for up to £25,000, and in April this year, her show Send Nudes Live sold out at The London Palladium.

Her following has grown to over a million people, captivated by Charity Shop Friday.

Sophie aims to raise awareness about the importance of shopping locally and supporting second-hand stores through her series.