Drawing is central to my practice as an artist, serving as both the foundation and an enduring thread throughout my work. It enables a direct, intuitive engagement with ideas, capturing immediate observations and developing complex concepts with fluidity and depth. In many ways, my approach to sculpture is an extension of drawing—bringing the lines, shapes, and gestures of graphite or ink into three-dimensional space. The transition from drawing to sculpture allows me to explore form and texture physically, expanding the tactile language of line into the realm of materials like clay, wood, or metal. Through this process, I bring my visual thinking into a tangible form, where drawings evolve into sculptures, each informed by the other, creating a dynamic dialogue between the two practices.
Sign.
In this ongoing collaboration with Vicki Powell, who communicates through sign language, we explore the visual language of positive and negative words. This project bridges spoken and visual languages, translating the subtle expressiveness of sign language gestures into large-scale graphite drawings on paper. Two of the drawings in this section are of hands in relaxed poses and each drawing takes up to four months to make.
The process begins with Vicki sharing sign language representations of selected words, captured and shared through social media. Each word conveys a spectrum of emotions—positive or negative—that I interpret visually, capturing the hand shapes, movements, and nuances of each sign. Through graphite, these gestures gain permanence, transforming fleeting signs into contemplative, static images that invite viewers to consider the power and depth of non-verbal communication.
This collaboration highlights the intricacies of sign language and its capacity to communicate beyond words, fostering a unique cross-medium dialogue. The work also seeks to invite reflection on how we convey, receive, and interpret emotions, even without spoken language.
Time and Space
Exhibition and Workshop Series: Art and Poetry by Paul and Ian
Paul and poet Ian McMillan will showcase a collaborative exhibition that combines visual art and poetry, capturing the essence of shared experiences through their creative responses to each other’s work. This engaging series includes a book, exhibitions, workshops, and events designed to connect audiences of all ages with the beauty of art and poetry.
Program Highlights:
Exhibitions and Spoken Word Events: Held at local libraries and the OPO arts venue in Scarborough, these exhibitions will be accompanied by two spoken word events at each location. One event will be dedicated to schools, and the other will be open to the public, featuring a Q&A session led by Paul.
Workshops for Local Children: Paul and Ian will lead art and poetry workshops that empower children to create their own art and poetry. Their work will be curated and displayed on a new, dedicated website gallery.
Final Engagement Event: The series will conclude with a public celebration at OPO in Scarborough, launching the children’s online gallery.
A Vision for Socially Engaged Art:
Paul and Ian’s collaborative work is rooted in their shared commitment to socially engaged practice, which has led to meaningful projects in the past. This exhibition reflects their process of mutual inspiration—poems written in response to artworks, and art created in response to poetry. A graphic publication will complement the exhibition, extending this inspiration to local audiences and over 400 children, who will have the opportunity to create and display their own works in the online gallery, built by emerging web designer Louis Domingue.
Community and Accessibility:
This project especially welcomes children and audiences from working-class and diverse backgrounds, offering a space for inclusive, accessible engagement with art and poetry. Dr. Adam Stone, Pathway Leader for Fine Art at Leeds Arts University, praised the collaboration, stating:
“Paul and Ian’s work powerfully demonstrates how images, text, and spoken word combine to evoke the lived experience of place, capturing half-forgotten glimpses of places and times… There is a profound beauty in their darkness, recognising the sublime in the familiar.”
Please contact Paul if you are interested in buying a book or a giclee print. Below are the images/drawings by Paul used in the book.
High Royds drawing.
Graphite on paper, 2003.
This drawing is owned by the Wellcome Trust and featured in the Bedlam and Beyond exhibition. The drawing was made alongside a series of wall drawings commissioned by the NHS and to mark the closure of the hospital.