The Duchess of Edinburgh unveiled the new portrait of herself (Image: PA)
The Duchess of Edinburgh unveiled an incredible new portrait of herself by mouth painter Sarah Jane Parsons in London on Wednesday. The inspiration for the piece was an image of the Duchess from her trip to Nepal with Prince Edward last year.
Dressed in an elegant black blazer and white skirt, Sophie, 61, quickly got stuck in as she toured the gallery and met the incredible artists who have all overcome huge adversity and now create their work using just their mouths and feet to hold their paintbrush.
American artist Ms Parsons said she was “extremely, extremely honoured” to be asked to paint the Duchess, adding that she really appreciates the work Sophie does around the world. “It’s pretty much the highest honour I feel that I could have, to paint a portrait of somebody in the Royal Family,” she told the Daily Express.
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The Duchess thanked artist Sarah Jane Parsons for her incredible work (Image: PA)
The Duchess’ painting was inspired by an image of her in Nepal (Image: PA)
Ms Parsons added: “I chose to paint the Duchess of Edinburgh in watercolour because it’s a Royal Family tradition. I think Queen Victoria was one who started that. And then I used a Philip Morris print for the background because he was a major figure in the British Arts and Crafts movement. Once I decided on my subject and background, everything fell into place.”
In her role as Patron of the Treloar Trust, the Duchess arrived to tour the exhibition, which is being staged at RHS Lindley Hall in London until the end of this week, and was gifted the painting as she departed.
During her walk around the gallery, the Duchess was left amazed by the intricate skill of the artists who all use various paints and techniques to create their work, from watercolours to magnetic boards to aid them.
Board member and artist Tom Yendell OBE was tasked with walking the Duchess through the exhibition. Speaking about the visit afterwards, Mr Yendell said: “Her Royal Highness’s visit was fantastic. She not only visited the artists we thought she would, but also spoke with artists from all over the world, like those from Taiwan and France, so it’s been a really special event.”
The Duchess was in awe of the painting (Image: PA)
The Duchess was guided round the exhibition by artist Tom Yendell (Image: PA)
The new exhibition brings together over 120 original artworks and celebrates not only the organisation’s 70-year legacy but also the rich identity of the Commonwealth and the talented artists from those countries.
Visitors will have the rare opportunity to meet some of the amazing artists – those who have overcome adversity and persevered by creating their work with only their mouths or feet.
The exhibition features pieces by artists from over 33 countries, with each artwork standing as a testament to creativity without limitation, ranging from landscapes and portraits to contemporary and more abstract compositions.
During her outing, also met British artists Rob Trent and Keith Jansz, and witnessed live painting demonstrations from Alison Lapper MBE, Rosie Moriarty-Simmonds OBE and Bazza West.
Defying Limits, Defining Art: 70 Years of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists runs between Wednesday, April 15, and Saturday, April 18, at The Lindley Hall at The Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
