Paul was a very talented artist, who inherited his talent from "Grandpa John", his paternal grandfather. Although Paul never had any formal training, he quickly became skilled at whatever he attempted.

Several of Paul's drawings were in the Pointilism style -- a technique of painting in which thousands of tiny dots are combined to form a picture -- representing the shadows and highlights of a picture. Paul's wife, Tina (who had taken learned this technique in high school) showed Paul this method, and he very quickly grasped and mastered the style -- which is incredibly time consuming, requiring both a great deal of patience and a very steady hand. As you can see from the following examples, it is worth the investment as it gives a great look and yields impressive results.

Many of the themes of Paul's drawings are of Trees, reflecting his love of nature. Paul also combined his love for rock music with his art in his drawings of some of his favorite musicians.

Paul's talent also graces two of the firehouses where he worked -- The Pride of Midtown (48th Street & 8th Avenue) and Hooper Street, Brooklyn, New York.

Several years ago, Paul also became interested in tattooing -- creating and designing his own tattoos -- and many of his friends proudly carry this permanent mark of Paul's talent.

One of the finest examples of Paul's artistic ability appears on the last page. Paul created this amazing artwork especially for his sister. He really wanted to draw something special for Michelle -- something to remind him of her. In just over a week, Paul created this incredible "Angel Lady" drawing.

The drawing has always been very special to Michelle not only because he did it specifically for her but also because the subject matter and detail are so wonderful. I am sure you will agree.


John Gill, Father