Paul Martin

Paul Martin is a contemporary abstract artist from the UK. After retiring from the commercial creative design agency that I’d owned and run for over 30 years, one of the things I decided to do was chase my dream of being a contemporary abstract artist. I was trained as a classical fine artist at Art school in Bristol back in the late 70’s, which I’d used to good effect when I started working as a ‘Commercial artist’ in the days when advertising imagery was all hand drawn, way before the days of computers. The ability to draw was a pre-requisite, so my days were spent with marker pens and scalpels creating some of the UK’s best known creative advertising through the 1980’s and 90’s. But the creative fire that always burned inside me was a constant frustration as the commercial design and advertising world simply didn’t permit that freedom of expression that I needed. My style has evolved over the years where I use acrylics on canvas or inks and watercolours on paper. My fascination with textures and layers means that the boards are washed then dried repeatedly using heat to create the layers and the feeling of depth. I take most of my inspiration from the landscape around my studio high up on the Mendip hills in Somerset, close to the city of Wells where I live with my family, or from the sea and surf around the South West where I spend time surfing. I have also long been an admirer of the Cornish School of Art, something that can often be seen in my own work. I guess I’m not the ‘conventional’ artist in the classical sense, having spent years in businesses and wearing a suit, and then running around the rugby field in my spare time, but my passion for art is hopefully there for all to see.

View artists spotlight

Other artworks by Paul Martin

View more by Paul Martin