Xudozhnik

"Xudozhnik" means artist in Russian. I discovered art in 1980, the year Mt. St. Helens blew up. I was living in Portland, Oregon when that event turned me into an artist. In pen and ink, I started drawing photos from the collections of the Oregon Historical Society where I worked as a photo archivist. I put my first drawing on the refrigerator. The neighbors saw it and said, "Paul, we didn't know you were an artist." I said I didn't know either. From that moment forward, I knew I was an artist. My family thought I was crazy and tried to dissuade me but I kept at it, year after year. At first, I was self-taught. Then, I started taking art classes wherever I happened to roam--drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, watercolor, Photoshop. The list goes on. Now retired, I have taken a studio art class every semester since the fall of 2017. I also love swimming, reading, splitting wood by hand, gardening, cross-country skiing, and cooking. I would love your support. Thanks.