035 - Hard Times

Amidst Paul’s other themes, the Life Room is a career-long continuum expanding tradition while contemplating life itself. This image combines drawing from the life model with studies from sculpture etc to explore psychological meaning, contextualising narrative and scale, plus a Janus theme of endings, beginnings, transitions, etc. The main model’s body language spoke for Paul via mutual heart wrenching caring for their dear mothers. Each model or motif was drawn separately from life, including the same model several times, and the reality of the full scenario exists only within the drawing itself. It is important that Paul’s work is often in progress over several years, while accruing content and understanding. 'Hard Times’ was started in 2020 but interrupted by Covid Lockdown, while caring for his dear mother and writing a book about his art career. Concluding sections were added when he had access to life models again from June 2023.