Paul Kirley was born in Massachusetts and moved to California to study at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Art was an integral part of Kirley’s life as a child, as he grew up in a family of artists and designers. The artist discovered both photography and a love of 50’s Abstract Expressionist painting in his teens.

Kirley’s process begins as a series of digital photographs. Iconic images and stories are identified and catalogued, then selections are composed and combined with found objects yielding a narrative assemblage. The final step in the process includes expressing connections between the representational landscapes and ephemeral dreamscape experiences. Links between the two worlds are created as a series of traditionally painted layers and gestures. The creative process of each piece presents opportunities to live fully immersed in the stories and places of our dreams.

Paul Kirley is an exhibiting member of the Arts Guild of Sonoma and regularly contributes to the Venice Artwalk.