Paul Hains
BA BArch RIBA
Paul was introduced to painting by his father, Eric, a committed painter and a member of the SAA; they exhibited jointly from1991 to1995. Not many teenagers had the benefit of a father whose interest and ability to paint required a subscription to the Studio International magazine, a very fine modern art journal that ceased publication in 1992.
While studying at the University of Bristol, Paul won the RIBA Intermediate Portfolio Award and during his subsequent architectural career he has spent considerable time designing and preparing presentation drawings, especially as a Director of a major London practice.
At school he attended life-drawing classes at Maidstone College of Art and at the University of Bristol, organized life sessions for the Department of Architecture. Since then his work has been based on landscapes and has always been semi-abstract, mostly extracting elements of an image to accentuate composition in two dimensions. The use of colour particularly excites him, even when tertiary, and he loves working in oil paint and large French pastels manufactured by Unison. He likes to let the medium take control on occasions.
Prior to 2003, life as an architect in London limited his painting to holidays and occasional weekend activity. His move to Cornwall was motivated by a love of the sea and its landscape, which had inspired many of the post-war British artists he admires.
During recent years his work has been increasingly more abstract, with the confidence to work more intuitively. For Paul, fine art, although not a relaxing activity, has always presented a freedom, in contrast to the exactitude and functional constraints necessary for the practice of architecture.
Exhibitions
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition : Accepted 1974 and 1976.
Member, Fellow and Committee Member, Society of Architect Artists 1991 to 1999.
Ligne et Coleur in Paris, 1993, 1994 and 1995.
Greetings card for RIBA Publications, 1996, ‘Frigiliana, Andalucia, Spain’ selected.
Lemon Street Gallery, Truro, Cornwall, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
London Contemporary Art Fair, Islington, 2007.
Work in private collections
All sizes quoted are image sizes
ESTUARY
Online
Mixed media on board
880 x 530
MYLOR HARBOUR
Online
Oil paint on card
450 x 290
RESTRONGUET CREEK AT DUSK
Online
Oil paint on board
605 x 390
MULLION HARBOUR
Online
Mixed media on board
860 x 490
ABSTRACT 2
Online
Mixed media on paper
390 x 230
Central Spain
Oil paint on paper
60 x 30cm
Landscape near Frigiliana
Oil paint on paper
56 x 53cm
The Market
Skiathos
Oil paint on board
42 x 30cm
Untitled
Mixed media on paper
48 x 14cm
Great Western
Watercolour on paper
20 x 7cm
Sophia
Oil paint on board
46 x 23cm
Cornish Harbour
Oil paint on card
20 x 16cm
Water's Edge
Pastel on paper
46 x 25cm
Orthodox
Watercolour on paper
20 x 7cm