Paul Paquette

Paul Paquette was born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, in 1962. His family moved to Montreal in 1964, Winnipeg in 1970 and Vancouver in 1976.

His early training included drop-in life-drawing classes at the Federation of Canadian Artists. Alan Edwards, then the Federation’s president, awarded him a study bursary that gave him unlimited access to classes. Over the following three years, Paquette attended regular classes and seminars with practising artists.

In 1985, he entered the commercial art program at Capilano College in North Vancouver, concentrating particularly on illustration. He earned a place on the Dean’s List in his first year and studied under Paul Degan during his third year. He subsequently worked as an illustrator and graphic artist while continuing to develop his painting.

In 1993, Paquette bought a 30-foot sailboat and spent the next three years exploring the waters of southern British Columbia. His paintings from this period reflect the coastal forms and changing conditions of the Gulf Islands. He later returned to land, bringing his home and studio together in Vancouver’s West End.

By 2000, Paquette was exhibiting in commercial galleries in British Columbia. In the spring of 2003, he left his graphic-art position to devote himself to painting full time. His paintings have since been acquired by collectors internationally.

"It's been a long road, but the journey isn't nearly over. Just when I feel my energy beginning to flag, I find a new subject or try a different approach, and the excitement and enthusiasm rise up all over again. Painting isn't work to me – not in the conventional sense of the word – it's something I become completely absorbed in, where I lose all track of time. My easel is like a laboratory, and I feel compelled to try new things all the time – this is what keeps painting challenging and exciting. I am my own toughest critic, and I set my expectations higher each time I sit down to paint."