Watercolourist Bernadette Parsons based in the Whangamarino Wetlands area near Mercer in the Waikato, is one of Aotearoa's foremost watercolour artists. Bernadette has a passion for watercolour and the freedom that this medium gives her feeds directly into Bernadette’s artistic success and to the winning of many awards over her twenty-year career.

Bernadette was recently the recipient of the Paul Izzard Celebrity Choice Award 2024 for her ‘wall’ of work at the Auckland Art Show.

In October 2024 Bernadette's work ‘Of NZ’ was also selected as one of the two only Highly Commended Regional Artists for the STUFF Art Aotearoa Gold Award at the Queenstown Art Show.

Much of Barbara’s work is painted en plein air when of necessity small details become much less important and speed is of the essence . . . and the unconstrained sense of freedom inherent in painting outdoors, Bernadette feels, allows opportunity for unique chance happenings during the passage of paint in water on pure cotton paper.

Bernadette feels watercolour is a medium that you work with in a partnership and spontaneity is something she values most in her paintings as this she feels is what will make them special. Bernadette loves being able to capture and enrich the New Zealand landscape and make it even more special through her water colour artworks.