The Glens of Antrim have always been a source of inspiration for many artists over the years. Paul Kelly began painting in early childhood, drawing scenes from the local area. This continued throughout his school years, with a keen eye for the quirky, bold, and colorful.

Paul's art has a unique style. Growing up in the Glens, he always had an appreciation for the countryside, as well as local history and folklore. Indeed, some of his paintings capture a brief moment in time with added imagination, of course. Inspiration came from an early age through animation and abstract art.

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Some of his paintings are created from memory, and most have a story behind them. Like Paul's painting "The Old Garage," which was based on an old Esso station outside Larne that continued trading in an old-fashioned way up to the 1990s. This place had an array of old-time charm with classic vehicles and an old workshop dating back to a simpler era. Paul recreates this using shapes and colors, capturing a brief moment in time.

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Nostalgia can provide lots of inspiration for art living in the Glens and North Coast, which has beautiful scenery and is admired by visitors worldwide. Carnlough Harbour is a subject for Paul and has been exhibited in many galleries and exhibitions. "The Harbour Abstract" and "Lobster Catch" show movement and colors and are always popular with visitors.

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Originals and prints have been popular locally and worldwide, including in the USA, New Zealand, and at the Royal Society of Marine Artists in London. The city of Belfast has recently been featured in Paul's work. The latest picture shows the beauty of the old and new buildings, almost stacked on top of each other, with subtle images of the past, including the Titanic, Shorts aircraft, and the old trolley buses that continued to be in use up to the 1950s. This has been a new subject for Paul and is proving very popular.

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In my early career as a poster designer, I used simple, attractive colors for advertising purposes, but gradually, my career path changed. However, over the past few years, I have rekindled my love of art and a yearning to be creative again, only on canvas this time. I think it is important to experiment with new material patterns and colors and explore new ideas. The world of art is fascinating and diverse, and I would encourage anyone to create art.

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There are many who have been encouraging and supportive to me. Paul's unique style is inspired by the life and times of the people and scenery of the North Coast, the villages with its fishermen, walkers, castles, harbors, and other rare areas of Northern Ireland. He is really looking forward to where this journey will lead.