Page 38 - On The Move - Volume 17, Issue 1

By J.W. Southwick
Director of Marketing & Social Media
MAADA
ou’re no doubt familiar with the name Carey Paul, if
Yyou’ve spent any time in the automotive industry here
in the Atlanta area. And you may also know the name
of Tom Paul, Carey’s son, who continued the successful
business that his father started decades ago. But what
you may not know about Tom, until you see his paintings,
is that he is quite a talented artist. Then it all becomes
clear.

Tom Paul began working for his father as a salesman, back in 1966. As the
years went on, Tom’s role in the organization advanced, and in the early
1980s he began running much of the company. By the early 2000s, he was
the principal owner of the organization.

Aside from the family business, Mr. Paul he thought it would be great to do paintings The details in
took an interest in some rather physically of some of his pottery. To get started in the his paintings
intensive hobbies, which included short track new medium, he sought training with a UGA are intricate
automobile racing and running marathons. affiliated artist by the name of Jerry Chappell. enough to
Behind the wheel of a race car, he did Additionally, Mr. Paul took lessons with an make them
very well, once setting the all-time single- artist in Tucker, and still does to this very day. dead-ringers
season win record for his division – 21 out for photographs, until your eyes settle in and
of 25 races. And on his feet, he managed a It didn’t take long for Tom’s abilities with a you notice the brush strokes, which amplify the
personal best of 2 hours and 58 minutes in brush to rise to the surface, and the level of nostalgia that’s invoked in each composition.
one of the five full marathons that he ran. creativity he paints onto a canvas is quite
impressive. His paintings tell a story of the Being a “car guy,” it’s easy to understand
But as one gets a bit older, there’s a need to rural South, capturing the essence of existence why a good number of his works feature old
give the body a break from such strenuous among the farms and backroads that wind vehicles. “When you’re around the business
activities. “You have to come to the realization their way through Georgia. Old trucks hidden as long as I’ve been” said Tom, “it’s something
that banging yourself up in a racecar isn’t in the brush, barns slanted to one side or the that sticks with you.” But in addition to the old
going to last forever,” said Mr. Paul. With that other, their tin roofs peeled away and rusting, trucks and tractors, you really get a sense of
in mind, Tom sought to exercise his creativity. and bird dogs chasing their quarry are just his appreciation for the outdoors.
He began working with clay, initially, which some of the images you’ll see that take you
he found to be fascinating. And after a while, back in time. Tom’s dedication to his craft his evident.
He’s often up and in his studio by 3:30
in the morning, and usually painting by
6 am. And he’s not at it for just an hour
or two each day. He usually paints until 5
pm or so. He once asked himself, “is art
a passion or a possession?” Look at his
paintings and it becomes clear…there’s
real passion in every brush stroke.

You can see more of Mr. Paul’s paintings at
www.TomPaulArt.com.
36 www.maada.com