Paul Whitehouse

A scientist by background, I started creating art about 12 years ago, studying at Art Academy in London and later, at Newlyn School of Art in Cornwall. I took part in Sky Arts ‘Landscape Painter of the Year’ in 2021 but since then I have developed a growing interest in sculpture which I find offers new opportunities for experimentation and allows me to step into abstraction more easily than in paint. My sculpture is mainly in stone but recently I have started to work in plaster and wood, which open up even more possibilities.

I am drawn to geometric shapes that lend drama to a piece, whether in paint or sculpture. Probably drawing on my scientific experience, my recent work draws on repeating patterns in plants and the natural world revealed under the microscope. A recurring theme in my sculpture is the “landscape beneath our feet”, and I am fascinated by geological forms, fossils and prehistoric artefacts, often drawing inspiration from visits to museums that then find their way into my sketchbook..

I am a regular exhibitor with Oxford Art Society and Reading Guild of Artists and I have also exhibited in St. Ives in Cornwall, The Turrill Sculpture Garden, Oxford, and Mall Galleries, London. In 2022 I was awarded the Pauline Mercier award for 3D work and I am a member of Oxford Sculptors Group.