WATER FOWL, PEREGIAN BEACH
Needless to say, the former Melbournian’s career as a professional artist was born of natural intuition. Paul has been painting for only six years, with a long career in architecture and building preceding his current stint behind the easel. In fact, Paul had barely picked up a brush as an adult since discovering fondness for creation at age 10. “I had a really good art teacher at my fifth grade state school for one year which really got me going. It was an experience I’ll never forget,” Paul says. “He would put me and a mate in the corridor with paint and a stack of paper and just go for it while the others were all doing school work. He used to play favourites. “I’ll never forget him. He just knew. Where else would I have got a chance to pick up a brush and be taught by someone? It was a defining moment for me. I can’t remember any of my other teachers.” Although Paul’s reasons for moving to the Sunshine Coast were entirely practical – a distaste for a professional existence spent largely negotiating dense Melbourne traffic – it would also be his catalyst for reconnecting with his beloved childhood pastime. Looking for a fresh challenge post-building, a friend invited him down to a small art class at Coolum. Although decades had passed since he last laid stroke to a canvas, his passion was reawakened. After years spent in the salt water, it wasn’t long until beautiful coastal landscapes began dancing off the page. “When we used to live in Peregian, I used to surf every day. There’s nothing better than jumping in the water and paddling out just past the break,” Paul says. “You understand how it works – how the waves line up, how they break and what happens close >