Paul
Explore Paul’s work at Sharing Is Caring, a group exhibition in partnership with University College London Hospitals Arts & Heritage from 22 November - 5 February. Find out more about the exhibition at The Street Gallery of UCLH.
The activity of painting is really important to Paul and his work is very personal. His work has evolved into an impressionist style with Van Gogh like brushstrokes and deliberate colourfulness. Common themes in his work are desert islands and landscapes in spring or winter. Paul has learned how to create lines of perspective in his paintings and how to distinguish foreground and background. He has started to incorporate small tweaks and symbols in his work that reveal private thoughts or beliefs.
For Paul, painting has been both a mode of imaginative escapism and of therapeutic focus. He says when he paints he feels relaxed and focused, and he gets to choose what he sees and how he feels. This is a great example of emotional regulation through artmaking. Simultaneously, Paul’s landscapes and desert islands contain a healthy dose of escapism. Through his work, Paul travels to exotic, beautiful, unspoilt places, he expresses his frustration at not having the opportunity to travel to magical places and in lieu, paints the paradises he wishes to visit.
In the studio, Paul focuses on his work and simultaneously enjoys feeling a part of group conversations. Outside the studio, he seeks validation through exhibiting and selling his work. Feeling seen and appreciated is a constant motivator for Paul, and this, along with a vivid imagination, drives him to create art.
“There’s lots of things that are too private to reveal.
I identify as a painter, as an artist. I identify with islands - I want to see them, but I can't afford to go there. Painting them takes me into a world of fantasy. I identify with the music of Freddie Mercury. He was proud and free to be himself.”
Original Art:
Paul’s art from the studio:
55x64cm
Acrylic on board