“Buoy Composition II” oil on canvas by Paul Brent
“Needs to dry and be varnished. I have the frame. You can use this in publicity for the July show.” Paul Brent
Paul Brent
About the artist:
Paul Brent is an artist whose work has become internationally known to represent the coastal lifestyle. From his watercolors to his recent oil paintings he captures nature in its best and most idyllic form. While being best known for his beach subjects, he has painted landscapes that are equally indicative of his talent to recreate all aspects of nature. He especially enjoys painting local scenes and beachscapes that he views near his two home studios in Panama City, Florida and Seaside, Oregon.
Paul Brent was born in Oklahoma City and lived in rural Southwest Oklahoma with his family until he was thirteen. His parents, who were educators, moved their family to Long Beach, California, and Paul attended high school and California State College in Long Beach. He majored in art but in his junior year of college he transferred to the University of California at Berkeley to study architecture. He completed his Bachelors of Architecture and joined the Air Force where he was stationed in Panama City, Florida. There he met his wife, Lana Jane and after they were married he left the service and they returned to California where he completed his Masters degree in Architecture at Cal Berkeley.
During a MEET and GREET event at Fairweather’s in July, 2019, Paul Brent offered an artist talk about his newest painting.
Paul Brent celebrated a ten year anniversary at Fairweather’s on July 6th, as well as artist Victoria Brooks and photographer Neal Maine.
Fairweather House and Gallery
612 Broadway St.
Seaside, Oregon
July 6- July 30
MAKING WAVES
Fairweather’s July exhibition explores the deep, multifaceted relationship with the ocean.
Art for the exhibition, largely significant pieces include new original work, created entirely by North coast artists.
Featuring selected Fairweather artists: Blue Bond, Victoria Brooks, Paul Brent, Nick Brakel, Leah Kohlenberg, Karen Lewis, Emily Miller, Lee Munsell, Richard Newman, Ron Nicolaides, Jan Rimerman, Lisa Sofia Robinson, Peg Wells, Russell J. Young and Dale Veith.
Introducing artists Sharon Furze and Phil Juttelstad.
The range in the show reveals the extraordinary impact of the the sea and waves.
2019 is the tenth year that Paul Brent has exhibited during the summer months at Fairweather’s.
Paul Brent has painted LIVE during the summertime Fairweather events for years and years, indeed… for a decade !
Enjoy the slide show of ten years with Paul Brent in Seaside at Fairweather’s.
Recent Q and A with Paul Brent and R. J. Marx, editor of the Seaside Signal
A resident of Seaside, artist Paul Brent shows art in Seaside during the summer. Paul and his wife Lana Jane own a gallery in Panama City, Florida, where they also have a winter home and property. They are cleaning up debris from Hurricane Michael, a devastating storm.
Q: Where were you when the hurricane hit?
Brent: We were still in Seaside for the hurricane. We left on the 18th (of October), almost a week after the hurricane hit. We moved the art from our gallery to our residence even though there was no power. At least it was dry. That stopped any mold growing on damp surfaces. Friends of ours whose home was totally uninhabitable are now in the condo.
Q: Can you describe what the region looks like?
Brent: Downtown Panama City and the major commercial corridors were hit badly with missing roofs and blown-out windows. Large metal buildings were especially hit, like warehouses and boat storage facilities. Marinas and church after church were destroyed. Residential areas that had oaks and large pines received major roof damage with trunks and limbs making holes, sometimes cutting buildings in two. Every roof has a blue tarp on it. Many people called it a war zone. Farther east, complete structures were wiped out.
Q: Where is your gallery and how did it make out?
Brent: It’s in the downtown area very close to the water. My studio was on the second floor. I had a glass block wall that was facing north. I had excellent lighting for painting. Half the roof peeled, the glass wall collapsed and my studio became ground zero for our office.
Q: Were you able to rescue the artwork or was much of it destroyed?
Brent: We have a cleanup crew. They’ve stripped all the wood and Sheetrock. We’re drying it out now and getting ready for reconstruction. Even at this point it’s hard to determine. All the paintings and two-dimensional artwork are mine. We carry jewelry, wood, glass, and ceramics by other artisans.
Q: Did people evacuate? Was there a warning?
Brent: The surprise was, everybody knew pretty much where it was going to going to hit. But it was first predicted to be a Category 2, then predicted to be a Category 3. It was not until the last day, that they said “Oh, no, it’s going up to Category 4.” We’ve had several 3s come through this area. People were sort of like: “We can live through a (Category) 3.” It suddenly went up to a 4, went to a 4-plus, it was right on the edge between a 4 and 5. There were some places that winds were clocked at over 150 mph. That will pretty much destroy any structure. Homes in Mexico Beach that were not on pilings are just slabs now.
Q: Seaside is vulnerable in a Cascadia Subduction Zone event. Do you find lessons to be learned from Hurricane Michael?
Brent: With homes on both coasts, it looks like we’re being hit by a double whammy. We enjoy living here during the cooler months and we enjoy living in Seaside in the warmer months. We don’t think that it’s going to change that part of our lives. If you’re in any coastal area, no matter where it is, you’re in danger of some sort of natural disaster. I have relatives in Oklahoma. I remember as a young child going through areas hit by tornadoes. It was like looking at what I’m looking at now.
Q: Are you putting your gallery and house together?
Brent: We have a professional construction crew doing the final cleanup and dry-out of the structure. Then we’ll be working with another crew to do a build-back. People have said, “Do you think people will stay here?” “Do you think our businesses, our downtown will come back?” Every business owner (has said) “We’re building back.” So there’s really a very positive feeling. We’ll make it a better place.
Notes:
Paul Brent recently shared notes about…
Paul Brent’s “Coastal” Art | Bed Bath & Beyond… https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com › ..Paul Brent’s designs have a classic sense about them, timeless. Easy to see in this “Coastal” anchor pillow with modern styling and asymmetrical flair on a …
Get ready for the 4th or just show your red, white and blue. Paul Brent fabric at Jo Ann’s.
New wallpaper from York from a Paul Brent watercolor.
