Victoria Parsons

Media: Drawing, Illustration, Mixed media, Painting

Biography

.Artist Biography

Victoria is a mixed-media artist with a lifelong practice rooted in experimentation across a wide range of materials and surfaces. Over the years, her work has focused primarily on wildlife and natural history, earning particular recognition for her award-winning depictions of wolves.

Drawing sits at the core of Victoria’s creative process and is the most vital and engaging stage of her work. Through close observation and recording, she develops a deep understanding of her chosen subjects. Much of her work is drawn directly from life or created from a combination of observational drawings, studies, written notes, and photographs taken by the artist herself.

In her recent work, Victoria has turned her attention to British trees throughout the changing seasons. While she is inspired by the unique character of every season, she is especially drawn to winter trees, where the underlying structure and “skeleton” of the tree is revealed. This stripped-back form allows her to better understand how foliage grows, hangs, and moves through the branches, informing her work throughout the year.

At a time when trees and hedgerows are increasingly removed in favour of concrete landscapes and over-managed habitats, Victoria feels a strong responsibility to record and honour these vital forms of life. Her work reflects a desire to document and celebrate trees, recognising their essential role in sustaining life on Earth.

Although grounded in realism, Victoria’s work also carries a subtle mystical and ethereal quality, inviting the viewer into a deeper, more contemplative connection with the natural world.

Victoria is an Ambassador for Deep Deep Light Watercolours, a Latvian company producing artist-grade, handmade watercolours. These paints are created using as many natural pigments as possible and are mulled with honey, gum arabic, and essential oils. Each pan is filled and wrapped by hand, resulting in a low carbon footprint. The colours are unique, lightfast, and reflect a commitment to sustainability and natural processes.

For the past four years, Victoria’s work has been selected for the highly respected Earth Pathways Diaries and Calendars. Earth Pathways is a thriving community of like-minded individuals dedicated to caring for the Earth and supporting a sustainable future.

Victoria writes:

“We need nature for our mental and physical wellbeing. I have always felt a deep affinity with the natural world and our kinship with all life on this planet, whether walking, running, swimming, crawling, or flying. Our connection to nature is as essential as breathing. We all rely on one another for our existence. It is for this reason that I continue my work, in the hope that my art may encourage others to notice, value, and protect the rich diversity of life and habitats on Earth and beyond.”

Victoria has been a long-standing member of MIWAS, exhibiting regularly at the Annual Exhibition at Marwell Zoo alongside Pip McGarry and other artists, and later at Rooksbury Park. She has also exhibited with the Association of Animal Artists (AAA) at Frodsham, Cheshire, and with the Norfolk & Norwich Wildlife Art Society (NWAS) at Banham Zoo. Due to the time demands of teaching, she is now a member of TWASI and the UK Coloured Pencil Society (UKCPS).

Awards and Recognition

• 2017 — Best Wildlife Painting, UK Coloured Pencil Society Exhibition, Menier Gallery, London, for Partners

• 2013 — Commended (3rd Place), BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year, MIWAS Exhibition, for Portrait of a Wolf

• 2012 — Highly Commended, Wildscape Magazine Artist of the Year, for Fight for Alpha

• 2011 — Gold Citation, TWASI Annual Exhibition, for The Alpha

• 2010 — Best Public Vote, UKCPS Exhibition, for Cheza

Victoria has also been shortlisted for the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year with two coloured pencil works: Looking at Me Looking at You, depicting a chimpanzee in captivity, and The Amur Prince, a study of the endangered Amur leopard.

Get in touch

Contact

Email – victoriaparsons51@gmail.com

Website: https://www.victoriaparsons.co.uk