From childhood sketches in Birmingham to commissions inspired by railways, rock music and science fiction, artist Kevin Parrish has spent decades turning his passions into paintings.
For
Birmingham-born artist Kevin Parrish, creativity began with a pencil, a family
photograph and a determination to capture more than just a face.
Growing
up in the 1950s and 60s, Kevin spent hours sketching portraits of relatives
from photographic prints. Even then, his goal was not simply accuracy. He
wanted his drawings to reveal something deeper; the personality and spirit of
the person he was portraying. Encouraged by his family, what began as a
childhood pastime gradually developed into a lifelong creative pursuit.
Another
fascination soon found its way into his artwork: steam locomotives.
A
Christmas gift from his grandfather was The Observer’s Book of Steam
Locomotives which opened the door to the rich world of Britain’s railway
history. The book introduced Kevin to the wide variety of locomotives operating
across the country during the 1960s, and trains quickly became a favourite
subject in his drawings and later his paintings.
The
dramatic railway artwork of renowned painter Terence Cuneo, often seen on the
covers of model railway catalogues, also left a lasting impression. Cuneo’s
work showed how movement, atmosphere and engineering could be captured on
canvas.
“My
challenge was always to capture not just the likeness of a subject, but their
soul as well.”
Today
Kevin works from a small home studio where preparation forms the foundation of
every painting. He begins by developing rough sketches on a drawing board to
establish the composition before moving to the final canvas.
Photographs
provide useful reference material, but Kevin avoids copying them directly.
“Photographs
can sometimes mislead the eye,” he explains. “It’s much more satisfying to
create something new rather than simply reproduce an image.”
Whenever
possible he prefers to gather his own reference material. When painting canal
scenes, for example, he often walks along the towpaths photographing
narrowboats and waterways that later inspire studio work.
Kevin has
worked primarily in oil paint, valuing the medium for its flexibility
and richness of colour. The slow drying time allows him to manipulate the paint
easily, building texture and atmosphere across the canvas. In recent years he
has switched to water-based oils rather than traditional solvents for health
reasons.
Hours can
pass quickly in the studio while he works, usually with music playing through
headphones or a CD player.
“Time
passes quickly when I’m painting. I’ll often listen to music while working — it
helps me get lost in the process.”
Over the
past three decades Kevin has completed numerous railway commissions, working
closely with collectors to develop accurate and atmospheric compositions. Each
project begins with careful research, assembling reference material and
studying historical details before work begins.
During
the early 2000s his gallery agent noticed a particular strength in Kevin’s
monochrome paintings. By starting with a canvas painted black and gradually
building tones from dark to light, he developed a distinctive style composed of
subtle shades of grey. The result gave his work a striking, atmospheric quality
that proved popular with collectors.
When Music Became a Canvas
Music has
also played a significant role in Kevin’s artistic journey. A lifelong fan of
rock and pop, he began creating portrait montage artworks inspired by musicians
during the 1990s.
One of
his favourite bands was the Birmingham group The Moody Blues, whose lyrics and
imagery inspired a series of imaginative compositions. Using photographs for
reference, Kevin created montage-style artworks that captured the likeness of
the band members while interpreting the mood of their music visually.
These
works attracted attention within fan communities and appeared on the covers of
fan club newsletters. In 1997 Kevin was commissioned by Paul Bliss to create
the cover artwork for his album Edge of Coincidence, bringing Kevin’s
work to a wider international audience of fans.
Other
musical inspirations followed. Kevin produced artwork inspired by the
progressive rock band Yes, with one piece later featured in a DVD release by
Impact Films in 2007. Portrait montages of Cliff Richard and The Shadows were
also recognised by the Cliff Richard fan club.
Beyond
music, Kevin’s love of science fiction, particularly the long-running
television series Doctor Who, inspired another series of portrait montage
paintings. These works appeared in fan publications in both the UK and the
United States, and in 2007 one of his Doctor Who artworks was reproduced
as a jigsaw puzzle.
Throughout
his career Kevin has also supported charitable causes, particularly those
connected with the preserved railway community.
Like many
artists, he admits there are always unfinished pieces waiting patiently in the
studio; ideas paused while new commissions or inspirations take priority.
Today
Kevin continues to paint from his home studio, sharing his work with collectors
and enthusiasts around the world.
Explore
more of Kevin Parrish’s work online:
www.kevinparrish.co.uk
Artist statement
Planet Earth, our Home world is a beautiful planet suspended in space.
It is all that we have to stand on you and I.
It is our life.
We follow the Sun giving us light and life, as we orbit our star once every 365 and a quarter days.
We
all need each other in this life and yet we seem to have forgotten our
sense of order to enable us to live in peace, love and harmony on our
homeworld.
Our satellite Moon, giving us
our seasons and ocean tides along with our trees, mountains, flowers,
birds, insects, animals, are all important in the thread of life and are
part of
our very existence.
Over recent times we seem to have become disconnected from the natural world around us..
We must reconnect with it in order to survive in an ever more material and consumer world.
My hopes wishes and dreams
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