From the kitchen to the art gallery

A British artist is currently presenting his first solo exhibition at Casa de Las Tejerinas in Estepona. The exhibition is all the more remarkable because the artist did not pick up a paintbrush until 2020, making the quality and scope of the collection truly extraordinary.

Born in Otley, West Yorkshire, in 1967, Paul Davies bought a home in Estepona in 2003 and has since divided his time between the Costa del Sol and the UK.

Although as a child Paul was inspired by watching his grandfather paint landscapes, he decided on a career in catering. He graduated in Hotel Management from the University of Leeds and went on to enjoy a 35-year career as a chef, pastry chef and chocolatier. Along with his wife, Maggie, he opened Truffles in 2000, a restaurant voted Best Restaurant by Yorkshire Life magazine on two occasions.

“I always fancied having a go at painting, but we never had the time while running the restaurant. I decided that I would begin learning how to paint when I retired. Prior to this, I couldn't even paint a fence. I was shockingly bad at art at school. In fact, I dropped it, because I just couldn't produce anything,” he tells SUR in English, bursting into laughter.

Paul and Maggie retired from the restaurant business in 2017 in order to spend more time with their family. It was during the coronavirus lockdown that Paul took up painting after enrolling in an online course with the Rod Moore Academy of Art. Moore boasts of having taught thousands of people to paint using his “easy-to-follow method of painting”, something for which Paul has nothing but praise.

“I did a short online course with an Australian artist called Rod Moore in order to learn the basics. His method of teaching was very simple. His method was just three primary colours, plus white, and three brushes and three stages. This I found really simple and I have since produced over 1,000 paintings,” he says.

While living on the coast, Paul's artwork is inspired by Spanish themes, reflecting the local culture and landscape. In contrast, the paintings he creates in the UK focus mainly on the Yorkshire countryside, along with portraits and other pieces commissioned by friends.

He has travelled to cities such as Seville, Granada and Cordoba, and much of his work, produced in acrylics, focuses on iconic landmarks, church towers and Arabic architecture, as well as customs and traditions such as flamenco.

“While in Estepona, I go walking pretty much every day and it's never the same. The colours are so vivid and the light is so different to the UK. Even in the winter, it is so different - the colour of the hills, mountains and the sea change constantly. I take hundreds of photographs and occasionally I see one that I decide I want to paint,” he explains.

However, Paul, who says he is somewhat shy, was not confident enough to show his work at first. It was the encouragement and support of his family and friends that ultimately persuaded - or, as Paul puts it, “pushed” him - to exhibit his work.

“Everybody that I have done paintings for has told me I need to put myself out there and try and sell some work. But I've always been a bit understated and camera shy: that's why I was always in the kitchen in the restaurant, while my wife was the face out front,” the unpretentious artist says.

His exhibition in Estepona came about after an employee at the Casa de Las Tejerinas culture centre noticed that Paul was a regular visitor to the exhibitions held there.

“One of the ladies noticed I had been in a few times and asked me if I was an artist. I explained that I was, but told her that my work was nothing compared to the standard on show at the gallery. She invited me to send some of my paintings and she got back to me suggesting that I hold an exhibition. I was shocked and surprised that she even got back to me. I obviously didn't know what to expect seeing as it was my first one. My paintings are relatively small, so they looked a little strange in a large exhibition space, which flummoxed me a little bit,” he explains.

Although Paul is deeply inspired by Andalucía, he says that he has not been significantly influenced by Spanish artists such as Picasso. He says he simply “applies the principles” he learned on the course to the scenes around him. This approach is evident in his collection currently on display in Estepona until 12 August, where vibrant colours and unmistakable Andalusian charm come together in each work.

“There are more than 20 paintings in the exhibition that are inspired by Mediterranean landscapes and historic towns, using limited colours, hopefully giving a strong sense of place whilst managing to capture its atmosphere,” he concludes.