Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1960, Paul moved with his family to Calgary, Alberta in 1973. In search of change and new stimulation he then moved to Vancouver, B.C. in 1996, however, returned to Calgary in 2001. Prior to earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University in New York, Paul was educated at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary. After working for the Calgary Herald newspaper as an editorial illustrator for 6 years (and freelance Illustrator), he’s been a full time fine art painter since 1990. Part of Paul’s growth as an artist has come from extended painting trips to international locations such as Italy, Australia, Mexico, New York and Santa Fe. He also continues to travel the globe in search of new artistic stimulation while expanding his vast archive of photographic reference material. An example of one of these trips was travelling to Seville and Madrid, Spain, to research Flamenco culture in preparation for a new series of paintings. Many of the dancers and musicians he met have been portrayed in his paintings.

Paul’s expressive and dynamic oil paintings are in private and corporate collections around the world. Mass exposure and marketing of his work has come from videos, documentaries and articles in numerous magazines and newspapers including a cover feature story in Southwest Art Magazine. He’s also been honored with many distinctions and awards including in 2005 being selected by Fresco Fine Art Publishers (Albuquerque, New Mexico) as one of the top Western artists working today – a hard cover book was published, titled “Western Traditions – Contemporary Artists of the American West”. One of his many prestigious commissions was being the first “fine artist” chosen to paint the annual Calgary Stampede poster in 2006. Subsequent poster artists include Harley Brown and Oleg Stavrowsky. A Charlie Russell painting was on the first Stampede poster in 1912.

Paul embraces the challenge of painting many different subjects which inevitably inspires new techniques and styles, however, he’s most passionate about Western themes, especially equine subjects. Intensely drawn to the beauty, passion, power and history of the horse, Paul feels he can execute a diverse variety of moods and compositions in these works  – from a small painting of a single quiet foal – to a large canvas of a 161 stampeding horses – to an abstract and impressionistic piece. Other Western themes include First Nations scenes and cowboy lifestyle (stagecoaches, rodeo and “characters/outlaws”).

“I’m committed to a life of creating images. My primary goal is to master the art of painting and develop increasingly the ability to convey my passion for the subjects I explore. These paintings are intended to document my diverse experiences in life and intimately express what inspires me. I expect my painting “style” to continue to evolve as I strive to express how I feel about the subject I’m focused on. I’m never preoccupied with technique, rather I allow the painting’s subject, expression and voice to dictate the type of “visual life” it should have. I feel each painting is a creative expression similar to a piece of music, dance performance or poetry. For me, the symbolic ritual of signing the painting represents the completion of the creation, however, also the beginning of its long journey through an unknown future.”