Paul Buckhurst

Residing in Columbia County provides welcome opportunities to  visit and enjoy New York State’s many rural areas and scenic landscapes, in particular agricultural areas within the Hudson Valley area. While sketching and painting favorite features of these natural landscapes, I have chosen to focus on “tree portraits,” with the aim of capturing some of the key characteristics of focused woodland areas  as well as selected tree specimens.  A particular favorite is the London Plane; whose multi-colored bark often results in a camouflage pattern and effect that to me suggests a benign militia, designed to overlook and protect surrounding landscapes.

I am a retired architect after a career of over fifty-five years working in both the UK and the USA.  My architectural training includes degrees from the Canterbury School of Architecture, UK and the School of Design at Harvard University.  With retirement I am now able to renew my earlier passion for  sketching and painting.  This interest was initially prompted as a student at the Canterbury College of Art in England.  Many years later, when time permitted, I participated in drawing classes at the Parsons School of Design after I moved to  live and work in New York City.  My home in Columbia County now gives me the chance to visit and illustrate selected landscape details and agricultural features  within the Hudson River Valley.