Featured work by Paul Horton

I wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember, on recalling my childhood it seems I was always drawing and painting - it became the very fabric of my life. I owe my art teacher so much, he made art such an enjoyable subject and I spent many happy hours in the art room. The freedom, guidance and encouragement received during my formative years set the foundations for my artistic career.

I studied drawing and painting at Bournville School of Art, specialising in life drawing and history of art. I also set out on a career within the printing industry, managing to combine this with an ever-developing style of work in both fine art and illustration, selling and exhibiting my work at regular intervals.

It wasn’t until the autumn of 1997 that I turned professional, dedicating for the first time ever, all of my energy into my art. I held a major one-man retrospective exhibition in the summer of 1998 entitled ‘All in a Life’s Work’, which was a personal selection of paintings representing my artistic journey. This innovative exhibition also featured a live concert by rock star Steve Harley, who has enjoyed major success, including the classic No. 1 ‘Make Me Smile (Come up and see me)’. I have always found inspiration through words and music and the creativity and poetic quality of Steve Harley’s music has strongly influenced my artistic development. I am honoured and delighted that such a talented and inspirational figure such as Steve has supported my work over so many years.

‘The Journeyman’ was the first of my paintings to combine a character within a street scene. This has lead to a new style of subject matter based on street life, whether reflecting everyday happenings or capturing the nostalgia of an industrial age. I like to think there is a poignancy and spirit within these works.

Growing up in Birmingham in the sixties and seventies has given me so many memories to draw upon; it has given me my identity and working class ethic. The working man in my industrial street scenes is an iconic figure reflecting the industrial age, but it could be in any city or any town.

I travelled extensively throughout the U.K. for the majority of 2002. My ‘Homes & Hearts’ tour launched my work to many galleries across the country, it was an absolute pleasure to meet so many wonderful people, they have become a great source of inspiration to me.

I am constantly pushing myself in new and exciting directions. As well as my drawing and painting I also lecture art to special needs students based within the community. This is a challenging and rewarding addition to my busy life and a chance for me to give something back.