Biography/Exhibitions/Press

BLAIR THOMAS PAUL

AOCAD, OSA

Artist Statement

One’s creative work is of such a personal, subjective nature that it is extremely difficult to address.

As the creator of these “things of interest”, there is an attachment to them as a father to his child, and yet there is a great mystery as to what these things actually mean.

Is a pristine country landscape simply the natural elements that we see, or is it just the silver coating on the mirror?  What lies behind the glass?  Does the absence of humans have some significance? Is it a barren Eden?

I am simply the artist, the one who extracts and distills visions, dreams, fears, and ideas; not the trained analyst.

I am a walking recording device, constantly seeing, sensing, feeling what goes on around me.  My creations attempt to describe these feelings in some tangible form.  Just what form I am never quite certain.

In my lifetime as an artist, I have worked in many various ways with a wide variety of subject matter, from the realistic symbols of nature to the abstract configurations of paint splattered, thrown, dripped and scraped. Scraps of paper fastened to paint sometimes express feelings of a totally different sort.  I only hope that what I do has some positive effect upon the audience.

The act of creation and the innate desire to do so is truly mysterious. I do not understand, but I continue to participate.

Background

Blair Thomas Paul was born in Almonte, Ontario in 1951 and completed his formal art education at The Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, 1974.  He studied art  history at Carleton University, Ottawa, and in 1984 graduated from the Technological  Studies Programme, Queen's University in Kingston.  Since then, he has been a fine art  educator at various institutions as well as continuing as a practicing artist.  His work is in  private, public, and corporate collections in Canada and abroad.  In 1986, he was  unanimously elected to The Ontario Society of Artists in Toronto, and received an award  of merit for a drawing entitled "CC 2000". In 2006 he was artist-in-residence at “AIR Vallauris”, France.

Athabasca University

Minto Construction

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. 

Dominion Securities Ltd.

Carleton University  

Van Leeuwen's Ltd.

Canada Council Art Bank

The Corporation of the City of Ottawa    

CBC, CTV, Dublin Times, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, Arts Review

Work featured in a book entitled " Art Carleton-University Art Collection", 1989

Drawings reviewed very favourably by The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa,

1989 and 2004

 ..."very good work" 

A. J. Casson

Painter,

Member of Group of Seven

..." I am very impressed with your work which has great

variety and uniqueness. I can prophesy without hesitation

that your work has a great future."

Ted Harrison

Painter,

New York Times Award, 1986

Order of Canada, 1987

..." I have watched Blair Paul's progress as an artist over a period of twenty-six years and I have been increasingly impressed as he has developed an identifiable, personal style. In my view, his work undoubtedly has the quality   which makes it suitable for any collections."

John K. B. Robertson, M.A.,F.R.S.A.

Founder Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, 1956

Consultant in the Visual Arts

..."strong work with excellent technique and attention to detail."

 Henri Masson

 Painter, internationally recognized

..."wonderful work which should be part of our collection."

Mayo Graham

Past Art Aquisition Officer, The City of Ottawa

Past Assistant Curator,

Montreal Museum of Fine Art

..."Very strong ,dramatic works with a spiritual quality found in the works of Lauren Harris and Emily Carr."

Jessica Bradley

Past Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art,

The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

..."Excellent work, well thought out and designed."

Joseph Plaskett

Painter, Internationally recognized

..."powerful images...galleries should want these!"

Glenn Cumming

Past Director, Art Gallery of Hamilton

Past Director, 49th, Parallel Gallery, New York

..."strong work...please, keep us informed as to your new work."

The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa