Brush with fame - Smethwick-born Julie Walters

The portrait by Carl Randall shows Walters, who hails from Smethwick, in a street scene in front of The Royal National Theatre in London - a place she has performed many times in her long-established career.

And it is on display at the Mall Galleries in central London - from today until May 19.

Mr Randall said: "In the portrait, I essentially tried to show her as an ordinary woman in a street, which relates to the characters she often portrays, and also how I found her to be in life - down-to-earth and without pretence.

"It is a portrait of her in front of a place that has personal and professional significance for her, and that relationship between the person and the place is an important aspect of the painting."

Walters, 67, who was this year honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Royal Television Society, was expelled from Holly Lodge Grammar School before training as a nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

After an 18-month stint, however, before pursuing a career in film and television, first studying drama at Manchester Polytechnic and later working for the Everyman Theatre Company in Liverpool.

The six-time Bafta and Golden Globe winning-actress wrote an autobiography called That's Another Story, which featured her end-terraced childhood home.

The book, which she sent signed to Smethwick Heritage Centre, told of how she first came to prominence, playing the title role of Educating Rita in 1983.

She is now more famous for playing Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter films, and for her role in Calendar Girls and starring as in the TV drama Mo, based on Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam.

But for all her fame, this picture by Mr Randall shows the actor closer to her roots, at the start of her career next to The Royal National Theatre, where she performed in Fool For Love from 1984 to 1985, All My Sons in 2000 and The Last of the Haussmans in 2012.

Mr Randall said: "I grew up watching the movies Julie Walters has starred in, and have always been a big admirer of her career and the roles she has chosen.

"I am attracted the strong, determined, down-to-earth characters she often portrays.

"Looking into her beginnings also, she does not come from a background which made it particularly easy to become an actress; it seems she had to fight to achieve success, and I greatly admire that."

He added: "I first met Julie in 2003, when I made a two hour pencil sketch of her from life at her agents office in London.

"Twelve years later, I contacted her again to ask if I could make a painting of her.

"She invited me to her flat in London, where I collected information in order to make the painting later.

"When meeting her I found her to be warm, genuine, humorous and chatty."

The picture is one of more than 200 portraits by more than 100 artists celebrating diversity.

It also shows the popularity of commissioning painted portraits by institutions and individuals.

Also at the exhibition are politicians Baroness Jowell and Ed Balls, the broadcaster Lord Bragg and the authors Dame Margaret Drabble and Michael Bond.

Comedian Jo Brand, the designer Wayne Hemingway and the former Provost of Eton Sir Eric Anderson are also on display.

Mr Randall also drew Brand.

He said: "My portraits of Julie Walters and Jo Brand are from my ‘London Portraits’ - a series of fifteen paintings of people who have contributed to British culture and society, with each being asked to choose a place in London for the backdrop of their portrait.

"The portraits were made as a result of meeting each of the fifteen participants. I contacted each person personally to ask if they would like to sit for their portraits, and each person was chosen because I have an interest in their work and career."

The exhibition is called Royal Society of Portrait Painters, which gives out awards to contributing artists.

Since 1891 the society has been devoted to the art and development of portrait painting.

The selection of work on display are from both from its members and from the open section,

The exhibition is open from 10am to 5pm and is open until 7pm on May 9 and May 16

Entry is £4 for adults, £2.50 for concessions.