Paula Cahill
Paula Cahill is a contemporary American artist. She is known for her dark blue paintings composed with a single, continuous line reminiscent of the bioluminescent light that emanates from sea life at deep, dark depths.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Paula relocated to the Northeast, where she received merit and academic scholarships while pursuing an education in the arts. She holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and a BFA from Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She also studied at the Art Students League of New York and Parsons School of Design, where she received a merit scholarship as a transfer student.
Paula has served as an undergraduate critic and speaker at Temple University. In addition, she was a visiting artist at the Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and has given artist talks for the Abington Art Center and the Abington School District.
Paula’s award-winning work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group shows throughout the Northeast. Her paintings are included in prestigious private and public collections throughout the United States, most notably the Charles Library Collection at Temple University, the PNC Bank Collection, the Capital One Corporate Collection, and Brandywine Realty Trust, to list a few.
She has worked out of her studio at the historic Crane Old.
Artist Statement
“Line is everything. Extending infinitely to the past and future, line forms the basis of our realities.”
I create linear abstract compositions that are often comprised of catenaries or a single luminous lines that meanders, changes color, and seamlessly connects back to itself. As I prepare to paint, I mix up to 100 gradients of color derived from my memories of scuba diving among tropical fish on the worldʼs coral reefs. By repeatedly laying down the colorful gradients one brushstroke at a time, I create radiant, light-filled lines that change color hundreds of times, reflecting a quality reminiscent of the bioluminescence that emanates from sea-life. My work is interactive, inviting the viewer to track a meandering, color-changing path.
I strive to push the historical conversation with line into the contemporary and elevate the integral role it has played in art, design, and the sciences since its early appearance in rock and cave drawings. Science, personal experience, visual semantics, and art history all inform my work. Catalysts for my most recent paintings include geometry, physics, marine life, and Renaissance perspective.
Contact
www.paulacahill.com
paula@paulacahill.com
@paulacahillpainter
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
My practice is inspired by specific catalysts, including the bioluminescence of sea life, line, art history, marine forms, physics, and geometry.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
My mission is to give viewers a moment of contemplation and wonder. This motivates me to create complex compositions often involving a single color-changing line. The paintings are designed to be interactive, inviting the viewer to visually track a meandering path that changes colors hundreds of times.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
While focus comes easily to me, the challenge is pacing my work, which I'm still working on.
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
Mindset is very important to me. I rely on Andy Warhol's quote: "Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." This helps me to get out of my head, to experiment, and to put the work out into the world.
How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
Since my work is linked to the ocean, I hope my story inspires people to nurture our environment every day. For the viewers who choose to linger, I hope they lose track of time in a moment of contemplation and wonder.
