After painting and drawing since childhood, in August 2011 Paul chose a career as a professional artist painting wildlife and portraiture from his home in rural Dorset. Paul paints contemporary wildlife paintings where the subject takes centre stage and the mood is set by light and shade. References are collected from life by sketching and photographing in the field both at home and abroad. Recently Paul travelled to the Okavango Delta in North Botswana and has previously visited Kenya and Tanzania. The wildlife of Dorset has moved to the fore in recent years, especially due to travel restrictions but also being freed up for viewing more wildlife locally. In the summer of 2012 Paul’s work attracted wide acclaim when he was a finalist in the David Shepherd Foundation’s competition for Wildlife Artist of the Year. His picture The Passenger, selected ahead of thousands of entries from all over the world received the Public’s choice award at The Mall Galleries, London. Almost simultaneously Paul was in the final of the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, receiving runner up in the Frozen Planet section with his polar bear portrait. This was the fourth year Paul was shortlisted for the final of the BBC competition since its inception in 2008. You can see Paul’s work online, at various galleries across Dorset and beyond. He also runs workshops and gives public demonstrations to art clubs.