Meet Paul Stone

Affordable Art Fair NYC is excited to launch our spring fair campaign! We can’t wait to return to the Metropolitan Pavilion (28 – 31 March) and to promote the fair, we have a stunning new campaign featuring the vibrant Mellow Yellow by Paul Stone, represented by Fairfax Gallery.

We sat down with Paul to learn about his career and creative practice, along with the inspiration for his work. So, get yourself a refreshing glass of water with a nice slice of lemon, sit back and read all about our feature artist.

MEET NYC CAMPAIGN ARTIST, PAUL STONE

How did your career as an artist begin?

Although it has been about 12 years since I made the decision to become a full-time artist, my artistic path began reading Art History during a drawing night class in the early 90’s. This led to my enrolment on an Art History degree, and much later, a master’s degree in Contemporary Fine Art Practice. The path has been long but very satisfying.

What inspires your work?

The everyday! The objects that surround us, things that become almost un-noticed. My early paintings contained virtually no organic matter and were comprised of objects that I found in charity shops and second-hand sales. Items that had a history, that served a purpose, and were discarded over time.

Later, when I introduced fruit and vegetables, I started to see patterns in the subjects I was drawn to, a certain order and design that was perfect to place centerstage, creating a narrative. It’s difficult to hold a lemon, and say “well, this is nice, but here’s how I would improve it.” It just works.

What do you love most about being an artist?

The freedom of doing what I love and the opportunity to create paintings that I want to create.  I spend most days in the studio listening to talk radio, frequently hearing about commuter chaos, office politics, company redundancies, and I think how lucky I am.  I work hard, often long hours, and my work isn’t without challenges, but it’s difficult to imagine being anywhere else doing anything else.

How long does it take you to complete a single work?

Most paintings – regardless of their size – take around 2 months before varnishing. This is due, in large part, to the drying times of oil paint (I work in around 4/5 layers for each painting).  I often have around half a dozen paintings on the go at any time, each at a various stages – how many I complete per month depends on their size and how much labor is involved.  For a large canvas I will spend up to 3/4 weeks continuously working on the ‘finished’ layer.

Who is your favorite artist?

There’s a touch of the ‘favorite child’ about this question, and my answer will often vary according to mood and what I’m currently reading.  One painter I often go back to is John Singer Sargent.  Although not often a painter of still life, his lightness of touch, and superb handling of paint (and well as his wonderfully elegant compositions) mark him as one of the many artists I aspire to.  Contemporary mentions must go to two wonderful Belgium artists, Cindy Wright and Michael Borremans, as well as Nick Alm and Daniel Sprick.

We hope you enjoy our spring campaign as much as we do, and that Paul has inspired you to visit the fair and consider your favourite artists. See you at the fair!

To learn more about Paul Stone, visit the Fairfax Gallery website.

Main Image:
Keep your eye out for our new campaign for Affordable Art Fair New York spring.

Featured art from first to last:
Paul Stone, Mellow Yellow, oil, Fairfax Gallery.
The full Affordable Art Fair New York spring campaign image.