Paul Howell was born in Romford, England in 1949. At the age of three he accompanied his parents to Malaya (now Malaysia) and grew up during the troubled times of the Emergency, often living in remote areas on the edge of the jungle. Paul returned to England in 1959 and was immediately dispatched to boarding school; an experience, he says, that initially was extremely hard to adjust to, but one that ultimately proved a very positive experience.

Always a keen amateur artist, Paul did not go to art school, but instead, chose a career in antiques, which eventually brought him to Connecticut and New York in 1978. It was during the next 15 years that he began to paint regularly and also attended art classes at S.U.N.Y, Purchase. Paul and his family returned to England in 1993 where he continued to paint and to develop his skills as an artist. Paul held his first solo exhibition in Woburn in 2000.

In 2002 Paul, his wife, Kate and Olivia, the youngest of his 4 daughters, returned to the USA and chose to settle in Kansas, Kate’s home state. Now happily living in Overland Park, Paul devotes his entire time to painting and has had much success selling his work locally and as far away as Chicago and New York.

Besides painting in oils on canvas and producing works in pastels, Paul will also paint murals for private homes, schools or local businesses. Paul’s unique talents include his ability to mimic several styles in painting ranging from the traditional realistic approach to the impressionistic and post-impressionistic schools. He says that the great masters, Monet and Degas have been the most influential in his painting career, giving him much insight into the subtleties of light and shade whilst Matisse, Picasso and Modigliani have taught him about the purity of line and the importance of color. And who, says Paul, could argue that Norman Rockwell was the high priest of realism?

When not working in his studio at home, Paul can often be found studying and absorbing the great paintings at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. It is, he freely admits, his most favorite place in Kansas City.