Paul Kenton offers us a new genre of contemporary cityscape art, where free shapes, dripped lines and fluid colour capture the essence of each location. His paintings reflect the exhilarating pace of the city, emphasising artificial light and furious movement in the modern day urban jungle.
Using a free-flowing technique with various media, Kenton strives for his paintings to create a mood or evoke particular emotion, whether it be a misty dawn in London or a colourful sunset across the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
Browse our collection of limited edition Paul Kenton prints and original artwork here.
Paul Kenton was born in Derby in the late sixties, but spent much of his childhood along the North Devon coast where his family relocated to when he was eight years old. It was here that Kenton developed a lifelong fascination with the sea, spending his teenage years learning how to surf. He also showed an interest in the arts from an early age and won a national colouring competition at the age of twelve.
An avid artist throughout his school life, Kenton became proficient in the use of watercolours and began to paint scenes of the Devonshire coast. He applied to go to Art College, but, because of poor English grades, was ultimately left disappointed. Disillusioned, he ditched his paintbrush and studied engineering at Stafford University in Stoke-on-Trent.
After graduating he worked as a draughtsman, with painting being reduced to a mere hobby. Kenton soon realised that the rigid format of engineering was not for him. His love of surfing that determined his next move. He decided to pack up his bags and travel the world with his surfboard in tow, catching a wave in many of the planet’s oceans. While travelling and fulfilling his surfing dreams, he became inspired to follow his other true passion – art.
It wasn’t until 1995 that he took the plunge and became a full-time professional artist. Supported by a grant awarded by the Prince's Youth Business Trust, he started exhibiting his works – the majority of which were acrylic or oil paintings inspired by his world travels.
Kenton’s paintings have continued to evolve throughout his career. Citing the early work of Monet as an influence, he’s now less concerned about capturing the precise details of a location and instead focuses on evoking certain moods or feelings. His love of the sea has never waned and his paintings often show glimpses of this interest, with emphasis on the reflection and movement of waterways in the city.
In 2012, Kenton was commissioned to paint three large pieces for the London Olympic games. He was asked to capture the buzz and excitement around the Olympic park during the games, the location where his paintings were ultimately put on display. He currently exhibits work throughout the UK and has followers and collectors all over the world.