| arts & entertainment |
After retiring from a career in law enforcement and studying for a year under the late artist Reif Erickson, Auburn resident Paul Harman became enamored with pastels. Currently a signature artist with the Pastel Society of the West Coast (PSWC) and member of North Auburn Artists, Harman creates realistic, light-filled landscapes and seascapes, along with vibrant paintings of animals. “I love the beauty of nature we have at our doorstep, and the places I travel to,” shares Harman. “Capturing [it] fills my senses and makes me happy.”
SPOTLIGHT on
Paul Harman by HEATHER L. NELSON
24
stylemg.com
| SEPTEMBER 2020 |
HLN: HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR ARTISTIC SKILLS OVER THE YEARS? PH: I drew things around me: trees, rocks, birds, deer, and even pictures from historical photos. In high school art classes, I stayed with realism and wouldn’t paint the modern art the teacher was pushing. I read books on drawing and painting and eventually began using watercolor and then oils. I was basically self-taught and would always carry a drawing pad and pencils with me when I went on vacations. HLN: HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR PASSION FOR PASTELS? PH: After my wife, Cindy, gifted me lessons for my birthday with distinguished pastel artist Reif Erickson, my passion for the medium began. Those lessons opened the door to a bright, tactile medium that’s both a [form of] drawing and painting. I no longer needed to wait for anything to dry and could continue to work on a painting while my creative inspirations flowed.
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Photos of Paul Harman by Dante Fontana
