Paul Simmons is a figurative artist trained and working in England. His vibrant watercolour and oil paintings of landscapes, cityscapes, cafe & street scenes are inspired by the light and colour of places near and far, including his home in the Surrey Hills.
He graduated with a BA and Certificate of Advanced Studies from St Martin’s School of Art in London in 1975 and has been a full time professional ever since, commissioned by many major corporate bodies including airlines, banks, IT corporations and government departments including Virgin Atlantic, The Muppet Show, Singer & Friedlander, the DOH and DCMS. His work has been widely published in print form by Athena, IKEA of Sweden, John Lewis, The Art Group and still sells widely on the internet today. In particular, ‘Café Provence’ first published by IKEA in 1993 has sold over three quarters of a million copies worldwide and has featured on several television shows including ‘The Perfect Holiday’.
Now semi-retired, he still paints, exhibits, teaches and gives painting demonstrations to art societies across the South of England.
Paul Simmons Artist's Statement
'I don’t think you actually choose to be an artist - rather, it chooses you. I feel fortunate that was my own experience - I constantly find beauty and inspiration everywhere in our world which drives me. I try to hold a mirror to the world and its people to reflect them in a positive way - to encourage people see things from a different perspective and pause for a moment to appreciate what we have. The elusive quality of light is something I constantly strive to capture - after all, it is light that brings us colour and I try to use that gift to the full. I do what I love and I love what I do. I hope that comes across in my work. I am often touched and sometimes humbled to receive messages from people in different countries who have a reproduction of one of my paintings and to hear how perhaps it has struck a chord with them in their own lives. Above all, I believe in the power of beauty to heal the soul.'
