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Paul Kooy
Oil and other media, NZ landscapes and imaginations.
Northland Artist
Paul was born in the centre of Amsterdam. He is the second eldest son out of a family of five. Paul emigrated with his family to New Zealand in 1983 to escape the overcrowded cities in Holland. Already at an ear(y age Paul demonstrated a natural talent for sketching and painting. This natural talent has been dormant in all males in the family but Paul has Been the only one to develop and nurture this to the full.
Paul never received any formal education in this field. Paul developed his skills in his spare time in addition to his other professions as laboratory technologist, industrial chemist and chemical engineer.
Paul has the ability and skills to use almost any style and medium with a natural ease although he confesses to prefer painting in oils and detailed pencil sketches. Visitors often express amazement at the variety of work on show. Paul prefers to paint his topics real sometimes even superreal although he is not averse to stray into abstract, surrealandimpressionistic creations.
Ihe New Zealand landscapes painted by Paul are a dramatic reflection ofreality with a strong atmospheric influence. Clouds and fog quite often soften the outline of hills and mountains. Paul's watercolors of the South Island are well sought after. In the last few years Paulhas drawn his inspiration from the sea in the Bay of Islands which resulted in some very lively sea scenes. It has to be dynamic Paul explains.
Recently Paulhas published a series of limited edition lithographs of pencil sketches of native Wew Zealand trees. The gnarled trunks and branches of the New Zealand native trees triggered his imagination and inspired him to the partial metamorphosis into human shapes and forms.
Space-time and multiple dimensions is the realm of Paul's boundless imagination, which he explores whenever time allows. A number of paintings are dedicated to these subjects some of which are exhibited in the gallery in Russell. Key features of these paintings are the dramatic landscapes in which the subjects and objects materialise.
