Paul studied at the State University of New York at Oswego where he majored in Math before switching, in his second year, to Fine Arts and Industrial Arts. He had a marvelous studying in New York City participating in the Empire State College “Studio Without Walls” program. He was tutored by Jack Beal and Elaine deKooning in his Westbeth studio space, and by Anna Wong at Pratt Graphics. His greatest influences were his studio teachers and mentors at SUNY Oswego. He is indebted to Thom Seawell, George O’Connell, Paul Garland, Al Bremmer and printmaking student assistant Scip Barnhart. Art History was wonderful, particularly Asian Art with Sewell Oertling. Paul didn’t work very hard for Rose Imhoff in Introduction to Painting and had to repeat that course. Sorry about that Rose.
Paul studied watercolor media with Diana Kurtz at The Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado in the late seventies.
He taught printmaking as artist-in-residence at The Venture Gallery in San Diego and became a very good waiter at the Good Earth Restaurant in Santa Barbara where he’d walk around with his sketch book drawing this and that. But Oswego was pulling him back to finish his degree and he returned there in 1979 and did well and accumulated more credits than necessary, though not enough in the correct categories and didn’t graduate! Blame it on his youth and his affinity for signing himself up for so many independent study drawing classes.
In the eighties, Paul turned his screen-printing expertise into his livelihood he started a screen-printing, sign and display business in Boulder, Colorado. Paul moved with his family to Nova Scotia in 1989 where he found a renewed connection to painting. One day it hit him hard, he needed to devote himself more to painting or he’d miss the opportunity.
Paul had small shows and began to find his way into larger shows and gallery representation. He is grateful to have made a living from his work. Paul is former a member Board of Directors of the Inverness County Centre for the Arts, an institution very worthy of support. He has split his time between painting and writing for some years and hopes to publish soon. He will have a solo show in fall 2027 at Secord Gallery in Halifax. His work has changed, so watch for it.
His city paintings have typically been focused upon mood and the feeling nocturnal lighting can bring to street scenes and to the individuals inhabiting the works. Paul has said “light is his subject matter,” but perhaps “light informs his subject matter” would be a better choice of words. The work has had many aspects through the years, from Folk Art influences, to Edward Hopper’s work, to the magic realists and lately to portraiture. Paul enjoys drawing and illustration and is a very proud father, grandfather and grandfather to be.