About the Artist

PAULGRECIANPHOTOGRAPHY  Paul's E-mail

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Statement of Artistic Intent

As a visual artist, I create images as an expression of the fulfillment and spiritual grounding I gain from nature. From the evolving light of an ocean sunrise, the serenity of a mountain vista, or the solitude of a quiet woodland, I find rejuvenation and a sense of connection. The challenge for me then is to communicate these feelings in a two-dimensional, static, visual medium. It is a totally absorbing and meditative process, requiring great introspection. With simplicity and clarity as compositional goals, I strive to create finely-crafted, well-conceived images that will pull the viewer toward the vision I hope to share.  

In creating visual expressions of my feelings and experiences, the images take on a variety of looks. Sometimes, it is the detail within the subject that draws me to exploration. Other times, it is the simplicity of shape and form, or some evocative color or light that I find inspiring. I enjoy abstraction and realism equally, and find the space within a dew drop as wonderful as a wide expanse of landscape. 

My inspiration for new images comes in the natural places that I think of as my own. We all have these natural oases where we find comfort and separation from the daily needs of living. These are the places where a true appreciation for nature, the world, and life are seeded. Growing up in Philadelphia, I searched for such places and have continued to search and find new ones throughout southeastern and central Pennsylvania. I travel beyond Pennsylvania little, but when I do, it is solely to east coast locations. In addition to Pennsylvania, I exhibit images I have made in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Vermont and New Hampshire.   

I think often about the images I may create. Based on my remembrances of a location or event, I sometimes visualize images before I experience them in the field. This pre-visualization enables me to better respond to my feelings of an event and create the desired image. Other times, I go into an area totally free of preconceived notions and allow myself to react to what I feel. I work with a variety of photographic equipment in a sometimes very technical manner, but look upon photography as an artistic medium. My goal is to create the images I "see" in my head and with my "heart", as opposed to with my "eyes" alone. 

 

"You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved."

- Ansel Adams

Biography

Early in life, photography became my medium of choice for communicating my discoveries about nature and life. My mother worked in a variety of mediums (e.g., pastel, charcoal, watercolor) and shared her skill and appreciation for the arts. But photography drew me in as being more personal, and more reflective of the visions I wanted to share.

I am mostly self-taught in the photography craft, but I have had formal training in black-and-white, and macro (close-up) photography. I study the works of photographers and other media artists, exploring their creative choices and their messages.  

My education was always geared toward understanding the natural world and its creatures, that pursuit continues. My college career was devoted to the study of animal behavior and ecology. I understand the connection between life, its environment, and the effect of history on shaping how all living things react to their surroundings. I know that this experience has shaped my view of the world and by extension, the view I share in my imagery. 

In 1995 I began an adventure into the art and craft show venue. In 2003, it became clear that in order to continue to create the kind of imagery I desired, and to have full control over the process (from printing to framing), I would need to devote myself further to the endeavor. Starting on January 1, 2004, I began a new path as a fulltime artist working with the medium of photography. Through shows I have befriended other artists and have had the opportunity to interact with collectors of my work. This ability to talk with, and gain feedback from patrons with a shared vision and regard for nature, makes shows the most satisfying work in which I've ever engaged. 

My prints are now in the private collections of people in many states and in several countries.

Born: 1963
Married: 1990
Children: Daughter
College: Beaver College (now Arcadia University), Glenside, PA
Residence: Quakertown, PA
 

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Professional Memberships:

Pennsylvania Guild of Crafters (State Juried Member) (web site)

Lehigh Valley Chapter of Pennsylvania Guild of Crafters (Vice President, Juried Member) (web site)

Reading-Berks Chapter of Pennsylvania Guild of Crafters (Juried Member)

 

Selected Publications:

Calendars:

Audubon Water's Edge Calendar

Audubon Backroads and Byways Calendars

Audubon Backyard Birds Calendar

Audubon Wild Flower Calendars

Birds and Blooms Calendar

Magazines:

Birds and Blooms magazine

Bucks County Town and Country Living magazine (web site)

Chester County Town and Country Living magazine

Coastal Living magazine

Country Gardens magazine

Montgomery Life Styles magazine*

Nature Photographer magazine

Virginia Jewish Life*

Woman's World magazine

* includes use of an image on magazine cover

Books:

A Photographic View of Bucks County - a coffee table book

Scenic Expressions of Bucks County - a coffee table book

Miscellaneous:

eNature.com - National Wildlife Federation (online field guides) (web site)

 

Corporations/Organizations: (including: Holiday Cards, Brochures, Annual Reports, Magazine and Newspaper Ads, Displays, Web)

BIOSIS/Thompson-ISI - PA 

Bucks County Conservation District - PA

Bucks County Tourist Commission - PA 

Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) - CO

National Park Service - USA

National Science Foundation (NSF) - USA

Quintessentially Credit Card - UK

 

Selected Awards:

Publishing:

1999 International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) - Award of Merit (Feature Article Category) (web page)

Photography Competitions:

2005 Wildlife in North Carolina magazine - 2 winning images (2 Third Prizes)*

       Exhibited at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

 

2003 Nature's Best  International Photography Awards - Highly Honored (Landscapes)*

       Selected for exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History

1997 Nature's Best  International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention (Landscapes)*

1996 Photo Life magazine - Honorable Mention*

1995 WildBird magazine - First Place (Rare Bird Category)*

1992 National Geographic Traveler magazine - Honorable Mention*

* includes publication in sponsoring magazine

BBC/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition:

Category Semifinalist - 2007*, 2006, 1996, 1993, 1992

* 2 images selected

Art Show Awards and Exhibition Acceptances:

2008 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Honorable Mention (Photography)

2007 Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Holiday Show Gallery (Lancaster, PA) - Best Use of Theme (Movement)

2007 Phillips' Mill 15th Annual Photographic Exhibition (one image accepted) (New Hope, PA)

2007 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Honorable Mention (Photography)

2007 Somerset County EEC - Carving and Wildlife Art Show  (NJ) - Second Place - Photography

2006 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Honorable Mention (Art-All Media)

2006 Somerset County EEC - Carving and Wildlife Art Show  (NJ) - People's Choice Award Winner web page

2005 Galaxy Art Show  (Doylestown, PA) - Honorable Mention (media other than painting)

2005 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Best of Show (Art-All Media)

2005 Somerset County EEC - Carving and Wildlife Art Show  (NJ) - 2nd Best In Show - Flat Art, 1st Place - Photography

2004 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Honorable Mention (Art-All Media)

2003 Galaxy Art Show  (Doylestown, PA) - Honorable Mention (media other than painting)

2003 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Best of Show (Art-All Media)

2003 Somerset County EEC - Carving and Wildlife Art Show  (NJ) - Second Place (Photography)

2001 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Honorable Mention (Art-All Media)

2000 Peddler's Village Art and Fine Craft Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Second Place (Art-All Media)

1999 Galaxy Art Show  (Doylestown, PA) - Best in Photography

1998 Peddler's Village Art Show  (Lahaska, PA) - Honorable Mention (Art-All Media)