The Committed Artist

Dedication to his craft, this artist has created

stunning paintings which are admired in galleries and private collections all around

the world.

Born in Brisbane I950, Paul attended the Brisbane College of Art and worked in the fashion industry for 10 years before becoming a full-time artist in 1980.

l started drawing and painting from an early age, like most children, and the interest continued into my teen years. After l finished school l enrolled at the Brisbane College of Art and spent three years learning very little that would be of use to me in the years to come. With family responsibility and the need to make a living, until the age of 30 I worked in the daytime and spent my nights working on my art. Very little from that time has survived today, but l keep some pieces as a reminder of a need to improve.

My biggest shock when l made the leap to being an artist was how I could do the work that l wanted and still make a living, so I spoke to many artists and gallery owners, asking for their advice. One piece of advice when

l approached a prominent dealer about showing my work was, “why would l hang your work for $500 when l could sell an established artist’s work for $10,000?” Although harsh at the time, this advice made me more determined than ever. l also had it pointed out to me at the same time, by another gallery, that there was no point talking about art; just go and do it.

My working habits have remained mostly the same for the last 32 years: l rise early, enter the studio between 5-6am, draw until 8am, paint till

3pm, and then draw until 5pm. l do this five days a week and then a few hours on the weekend. The only changes are if l have an exhibition that l have planned, normally one or two a year, or if l have a commission that has a completion deadline.

While l normally work on about six paintings in the same period, l never start anything until l have thought through the subject, size, format and desired result l hope to achieve. The process begins with the blocking in of the main areas of colour with paint, and then the painting evolves from there, layers of thin paint and medium are applied with the image emerging from the blocks of colour. It would be rare for there not to be changes to the painting in this period, as sometimes mistakes, for want of a better word, lead the painting into another area, sometimes better, sometimes worse. l am very happy to work this way as l usually learn something new, and sometimes the results are better than l could have hoped for.

When the painting is finished l hang it on the wall in the studio for a period of time so l can see it in a gallery setting, and if l feel it needs work l do it, then when l am happy with the result it goes to the gallery. Some paintings can stay in the studio for years, some never leave. There’s nothing like the sinking feeling you get when you walk into a gallery on opening night and notice something you missed.

One of the most pleasant and exciting aspects of being an artist, especially being a city boy who loves the country, is that we get to go to places to search for subjects at different times of the day and weather conditions. It never ceases to amaze me of how I feel when l see a new place for the first time, or see a rainbow, a flock of birds, sunrise, sunset; the list is never ending. All these things trigger a childlike wonder that stays with me and it is this that l try to paint and nothing else. If someone gets the point, l know l have done well. Painting for me is trying to capture a moment, that moment when the shadows engulf a cliff face, waves hit the beach or when a flock of galahs flash through a landscape and are gone. These are unimportant things in relation to our busy city lives, but they are none the less good for the soul; that is why l paint.

Paul paints a variety of subjects, often drawing on the power and beauty of nature for inspiration, including the portrayal of dynamic and striking sunsets, gentle riverbanks with quiet reflections, the outback, countryside and beach scenes. He portrays nature quite faithfully and with his individual style and sense of composition, presents works of great interest, and it is the familiarity of Paul’s subjects that strikes a chord with so many.

Paul’s work is said to be “conceptualised and abstract as the artist concentrates on capturing the impossibly transient imagery of moving water and wet sand ... a tour de force of oil paint transparency, they may be the best looking shoreline paintings since Elioth Gruner”. (Sue Smith, The Courier Mail, 29th April I995).

REPRESENTED BY

• South Yarra Art House: Melbourne, Vic

• Seaview Gallery: Queenscliff, Vic

• Watling Gallery: Gold Coast, Qld

• Yallingup Gallery: Margaret River, WA

• Gallery Beneath: Sunshine Coast, Qld

• Wishart Gallery: Port Fairy, Vic

• Framed - The Darwin Gallery:

Darwin, NT

• Art Promotions Qld

• ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS

• South Yarra Art House: 20I2, 20I3

• Seaview Gallery: 20II

• Jenny Pihan Fine Art: 20I0

• Delshan Gallery - Melbourne:

I998, I999, 200I, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

• Stafford Studio - Perth: I995, I997, I999, 200I, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008

• Framed – The Darwin Gallery: 2007

• Holdsworth Gallery - Sydney:

I985, I987, I989, I99I, I994

• Galloway Gallery - Brisbane: I983, I988, I990, I99I, I992, I993, I995, I996

• Pages’ Fine Art - Noosa: I990, I994, I995, I996, I998, I999, 200I

• Conrad & Jupiter’s Casino: I990, I992

• Ant Hill Gallery - Adelaide: I993

SELECTED MIXED EXHIBITIONS SINCE 2000

• Art Promotions Qld: 2000, 200I, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 20I0

• Tattersalls Qld: 2000, 200I, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 20I0

• Delshan Gallery – Melbourne: 2000, 200I, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

• The Athenaeum Club – Melbourne: 2000, 200I, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

• Stafford Studio – Perth: 2000, 200I, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 20I0

• Framed - The Darwin Gallery: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 20I0, 20II

• Schubert Gallery – Gold Coast: 2008, 2009

• Yallingup Gallery – WA: 20II, 20I2

• Watling Gallery – Gold Coast: 20I0, 20II, 20I2

RECENT COMMISSIONS

• Pacific Investments: Brisbane - I4 paintings, Singapore - 6 paintings, London - 4 paintings

• RP Data: Brisbane - I4 paintings

• 2007: 7 Portraits

• Yallingup Gallery: I3 paintings

Paul’s work is represented in numerous private and corporate collections in Australia as well as the USA, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, UK, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan