LONDON — Unemployment can have a positive effect, according to internationally acclaimed wildlife artist, Jeremy Paul. As the jobless figures in Saudi Arabia rose from 5.4 per cent to 5.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 the unemployed should take solace in his story. “If I hadn't been out of work for two years I wouldn't be where I am now,” says Jeremy, who has secured sponsorship for his latest book from KPMG, the global accountancy practice and is preparing for a four-month solo exhibition starting in September. “It was the 1980s and although I had a PhD in marine biology there was simply no work for me in this field. It was grim,” he recalls. In the early 1980s, under the Thatcher government, unemployment soared, exceeding three million out of work or one in eight of the workforce. “Painting was always something I did,” he says. “It was a far cheaper alternative to being a wildlife photographer and perhaps it was a little less competitive. At that time if you wanted to buy wildlife art there were basically two options: what I call bird in a tree art or a David Shepherd. There was nothing in between really. I then came across the work of Robert Bateman, the Canadian artist, which was really atmospheric and that, together with living in the Highlands, inspired me. I used my time to develop my painting skills and it was not long before my art started to sell. My first exhibition in Ashford public library proved successful, giving me the encouragement to continue painting.” Jeremy then secured a job researching and developing shellfish farming in Scotland and the Isle of Man and the landscape and variety of wildlife further fuelled his creativity. He decided to move to the Isle of Man. He is completely self-taught and works in acrylics, using his own photographs for reference and building his work in layers with under-painting and use of glazes for different effects. The development of skills which have turned this all too precarious existence into a career has come at the cost of thousands of hours of work and self-motivation on Jeremy's part. His latest book Jeremy Paul: An Artist's View celebrates his 25 years as a wildlife artist and is sponsored by KPMG and Manx National Heritage. His solo exhibition at the ManxMuseum on the Isle of Man runs from September until January 4, 2014 and features paintings from Jeremy's travels from across the world including prize winning artworks from BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year and Wildscape Magazine's Wildlife Artist of the Year. — SG
