Statement
Paul Leyland
Paul is an artist and film-maker working from his studio in a small village in Somerset. He worked for many years as a community artist and project manager specialising in working with often marginalised community groups teaching them how to make films and document their lives and circumstances.
In 2013 Paul suffered a stroke. Although he has few physical ailments, he feels that he came away from hospital a very different person, with changed emotions and perceptions.
“I struggle at times with feelings similar to deja vu. Places feel familiar and alien all at the same time. I’m a perpetual tourist wherever I go.”
The stroke made him rethink his life and he decided to start painting again. Paul studied painting at Winchester School of Art many moons ago.
He found the painting therapeutic and alongside a new passion for long walks, he draws inspiration from the beautiful Somerset landscapes.
He still makes films and his painting is very much a view through a lens. His smart phone camera is in constant use as a visual note pad.
Although he occasionally works in other mediums, Paul primarily works with acrylic on canvas, liking the immediacy that it offers.