Illustration Art Gallery
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He was showing his work at Birdland Gallery in Bourton on the Water in 1968.
ReplyDeleteHe lived in Bourton on the Water.
ReplyDeleteHe died a few years ago and some of his works were sold, but the majority left in his house were kept by my grandparents who were his only real friends when he died.
I was his only blood relative at his funeral
DeleteThanks for the comment. I have now managed to track down a small notice about his death in May 2007, aged 64.
ReplyDeleteI have just found this web site. I own 2 water colours from Paul A. Nicholas. One, which I have mislaid - featured either Ringed, or Little Ringed Plovers. The second is entitled Fieldfare on Beech, and is dated 1973. I believe I purchased both from Bourton. At the time I was told that because of a disability he painted most,if not all, his pictures from looking out of his bedroom window; and with the use of a telescope. I was also informed that he created a production line whereby on one day he would paint only legs, for example and the next day would paint heads and then bodies. I also remember that possibly in the 1970's (?) he produced a series of Christmas cards for the RSPB.
ReplyDeleteJust received a water colour by Paul Nichols entitled kingfishers 1976 interesting to know a little more about the man
DeleteDavid W. November 18,2013.
ReplyDeleteI have a number of bird paintings by Paul A Nicolas that I bought at the Bourton Gallery around about 1970. I was, and still am enthralled by his work as a disabled artist. I never met him, but I understood at the time, that Mr Len Hills, who owned both the Birdland Gardens and the Art Gallery was a great supporter of the artist and his work.
I have a painting of a pair of long tailed tits which was puchased in Bourton during 1978. It is painted on a dark tinted paper with a background of hawthorn foliage typical of his illustrative style. The picture was sold framed but without a mount which seems an odd choice of presentation by today's standards. I vaguely remember being told that he was disabled in some way. I bought this picture whilst still a student and as my knowledge and taste has changed it is not something I would choose today
ReplyDeleteI have many piece of art by Paul Nicolas. He was a relative if my husband. Two original landscapes 3 original birds and one original falcon.
DeleteI have what look to be two small prints of Nicholas' work, framed by Lewis and Clayton Limited. Does anybody know whether his work was sold as prints?
ReplyDeleteI think I have two small paintings from this artist. my grandmother used to drive him either to college or school for the deaf in Stockton/Middlesbrough, he gave them to her. one is sheep by a stream and the other a country lane with the back of a man walking a sheep dog.
ReplyDeleteI was in the same class as Paul at the Middlesbrough College of Art in the early 60's. I remember him well as an accomplished water colour artist, his paintings/illustrations of birds and horses working the plough were brilliant. He came to mind when watching 'Countryfile' on TV, I used to have one of his paintings from those days but sadly lost in time. Very sad to read he has died.....if true.
ReplyDeleteI have a Christmas card issued by The Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust, probably sometime in the late 60s, featuring Peacock Butterflies by Paul Nicholas. I found it amongst my brother's things when he died in 2009.
ReplyDeleteI met Paul in 1975 outside the Birdland gallery, he was in a wheel chair being pushed by his mother. During our conversation she told my wife and I that he has Cerebal Palsy, which had terribly effected the use of his hands and arms. He had crippling arthritis in both hands, so being the man he was , he started painting with the brush between his toes, as far as I remember, he could use either foot.
ReplyDeleteAfter speaking to Len Hill, I commissioned five paintings of Macaws, size is approx 24 high x 12' wide, it took him 3 years to complete. All the paintings are watercolours, the price for all his effort was £35.00 per painting. I still have all five to this day.
David Kay.
I have one given to me in the 70's by a dear friend Miss R Seldon-Truss it is two Robins and I have never stopped loving looking at them,Paul A Nicolas must have given so many people life pleasure - wish I had met himxx
DeleteI am so pleased to have just bought three watercolors by Paul A Nicholas here in the US. His work is exacting, and the background landscapes add so much to the finished results.
ReplyDeleteI have three bird paintings by Paul, all bought in Bourton on the Water in the 1970's. All beautifully painted, I love them.
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate to have 9 of his paintings which adorn our house. They were purchased in the late 70s/ early 80s. We have always loved them and still marvel at the quality of his work bearing in mind the difficult circumstances he worked under. As a lifelong ornithologist I wonder at his amazing skill. A really talented person.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 watercolours by paul field mice on stalks of corn an autumn scene and 3 budgerigars each one so precise I have looked for other works by paul but they are difficult tocome by
ReplyDeleteHELLO, I HAVE A PAINTING OF AN OWL BY PAUL I AM SELLING,
ReplyDeletePLEASE REPLY IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN BUYING IT. HE WAS A VERY TALENTED ARTIST.
Hi you still have he owl? How much you asking? Peter
DeleteI have two Paul Nicholas originals - a Gyr Falcon and a Peregrine Falcon. I commissioned them directly from Paul in 1974 when I was working at Birdland in Bouton-on-the-Water. I was 14 years old then. They are in mint condition because I never framed or displayed them. I would like to sell both. They measure 11" x 16" and are painted on a kind of paperboard. the background in gray, otherwise they are well done and quite colorful. I am in the USA. My email is halmont@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI own a beautiful watercolour of High Force in Teesdale by Paul Nicholas. It was originally bought by my parents in the early 1960s from an exhibition at the Middlesbrough Art College. I remember my parents telling me that he had done some bird illustrations for Peter Scott though I am not sure how accurate this is. I was also led to believe that he had been brought up in the Middlesbrough area but again cannot verify this fact.
ReplyDeleteHe illustrated Collins field guide to Orchids of Britain and Europe.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm just putting a poppy watercolour up of Paul A. Nicholas (as written on the print) and idle curiosity made me search for him. Found this thread so thought I'd post as I'm not sure it is the same person given the description of the other pictures. This one is a very simple picture of a poppy as I've said - though executed with great detail and care - against a white background.
I bought it from the Royal Society For Nature Conservation (RSNC - now the Wildlife Trust's) in 1991 who I was just leaving for another job and I bought several pictures they were selling off to realise some funds. There is no obvious date on the picture though the references to the 1960's and 1970's would fit this picture as it is of a style of that time and RSNC had the pictures in a draw for quite some time. It is most likely it was donated to RSNC to raise funds which they eventually did.
Hope this is of interest.
Best wishes.
Tony Jones:-)
I was given a watercolour of Paul's in the late 1980s of a pair of Pied Flycatchers at a nest hole in an apple tree. It has a Birdland Gallery label. I didn't know he was a disabled artist.
ReplyDeleteI have 4 pictures by Paul, inherited from my Father in Bourton. Where might I find out roughly what they are worth?
ReplyDeleteThanks DNS
I am lucky enough to own a watercolour of a pair of Snowy Owls by Paul. Had it for many years and love it. He was clearly a very talented wildlife artist.
ReplyDeleteI have two watercolours by Paul, 1."Robin in Hoar Frost 1975' and 2. "Cock Chaffinch on a Frosty Day " on board(signed in pencil on the reverse) in addition to the one on the picture itself 1975. They belonged to my husband (Dick Jeeves, a bird photographer who died in 2019. ) Interested to know if anyone would like to own them and their worth.
ReplyDeleteAre they framed and approx what are the dimentions
DeleteMy 4 are framed, 10 inch by 15inch. Contact me and I will send a picture of them. dneilsmith99@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI have a picture of a badger painted and signed by Paul a Nicholas given to me in the 70's by my father. I absolutely love this picture and just thought I would look out for any other pictures by him
ReplyDeleteSee my post below
DeleteI have two paintings by Paul Nicholas for sale. One is a Tawny Owl 18cm x 24cm and the other is a Hedgehog 17cm x 14cm.
ReplyDeletePlease contact me if they are of interest.
We have a large painting by Paul A Nicholas in our family, and my cousins have another. They were both commissions made in the early 1960s when he had an exhibition in Middlesbrough. Much larger than the bird paintings he was doing after he moved to Bourton on the Water. Both highly detailed gouache paintings depicting deer herds in autumn landscapes with birch and beech trees on misty landscapes.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar picture from a charity shop in 2017. On the back the original purchaser wrote"painted for me by Paul Nicholas for Xmas 1968. An original watercolor.
DeleteWe have four paintings for sale by Paul, my late father loved his work. They are Pheasants; Heron; Bullfinches in winter; and Green woodpeckers. If anyone is interested please reply with contact details and we will get in touch.
ReplyDeleteI have a painting of Rockhopper penguins that was done by Paul Nicholas as a special request. The painting is currently in South Australia and is for sale if anyone collects his works.
ReplyDeleteI have just purchased an original Paul A Nicholas water colour painting of two chaffinches and violets painted on the dark background, mounted and framed from my local charity shop. I was drawn to it straight away without knowing anything of the artist. Thank you for the insight.
ReplyDeleteHi, I have had in my possession an original Nicholas watercolour of exactly the same description as yours (ie male and female chaffinches with violets and orange bracken, the female sitting on a branch on a dark background) for about 30 years. I have just mounted it above a fireplace and it looks beautiful. Maybe he painted the same scene twice!. Dr Ashley J. Wilson, Youlthorpe, York.
DeleteI have 4 commissioned paintings by Paul of parrots: Blue and Gold, Green Wings, Red and Blue wings, Red and Gold which I wish to sell if anyone is interested please e-mail valeriekay@talktalk.net
ReplyDeleteI remember going to Pauls house as a child with my father and uncle. This would have been the late sixties early seventies. My father and uncle bought numerous paintings off of him which we have today. I alone have around 19 of his pieces of work and am not sure what to do with them or how much they are worth. If anyone would like to contact me about them my e mail is info@merleyhouse.co.uk
ReplyDeleteI have several bird paintings by Paul and a commissioned larger one of badgers, bought by my parents between 1967 and 1970. We used to go to the house where he lived with his parents. His father did the framing and I remember him telling us that Paul would shoot a complete reel of film of say a blackberry branch and the paint from the pictures.
ReplyDeleteSir Peter Scott was impressed enough that we understood that Paul was asked to illustrate the RSPB calendar round about '69/'70.