PAUL
BLUMENTHAL
Montana-based painter Paul Blumenthal crafts oil and watercolor landscapes that blend direct observation and sincere emotional expression. Blumenthal’s work echoes a profound affection for the world. A practicing architect for most of his life, Blumenthal started with sketches of landscapes and buildings, during his travels in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. These drawings evolved into meticulous studies on tablets and, eventually, vibrant watercolors. His current focus lies in landscapes, both real and imagined, capturing the essence of a place through uninhibited observation. Steering away from reality, his recent creations embody raw emotion, translating into compositions that merge painting and drawing, emphasizing expression above all else. Whether Montana’s mountains or the Israeli desert, his art aims to stir the heart and evoke a sense of wonder in those who behold it.
I draw and paint watercolor and oil paint landscapes, real and imagined, while immersed in a place. There, I spend time drawing and painting, building on the honest observation of form, space, value, and color. My process for creating art is to draw in situ, not looking through a camera, but rather through my mind’s eye using all the senses and instilling emotional content. I carry a drawing tablet on walks, creating studies, which are developed into works that retain the rawness and power of initial impressions.
During the last three years, I have focused on learning to read my marks and following my intuition, creating paintings and watercolors that stand on their own without reference to reality. A sign in a children’s art area is now my mantra “Don’t Think, Just Paint.” My recent work is consumed with line, form, value, composition, and merging painting and drawing to achieve these goals. I believe expression and emotion are key to my work. Whether it’s the mountains in Montana or the Israeli desert, I aim to communicate my love of the land and ignite a sense of surprise in the viewer.
