Paul Lake (1959 -
2006)
Was a gifted painter,
poet and writer, from Godalming, Surrey. He died tragically in December 2006
and is sadly and deeply missed by his family and many friends. He worked in
oils beginning from the 1970’s, his creativity was met with wide acclaim within
the artistic community and his portraits often depicted powerful character
portrayals against the social and political backdrop of the era in which he
worked.
From humble origins Paul
was educated at Wennington School in Yorkshire and Monkton Wylde Dorset. These
progressive environments meant that natural talent flourished, but Paul’s life
was troubled by mental illness and having been misdiagnosed for most of his
life, it was eventually realized that he suffered from Bi-Polar disorder during
his later years.
Paul’s work as an artist
is in many ways a celebration of his insightful perspective on the world,
through his art Paul gave us an impression of reality which opened doors which
only he could do. His pieces varied from highly textured oils to woodworking
craftsmanship.
Paul’s art was
commissioned by Sir John Hurt and the Boxer Nigel Benn. His 1992 work ‘Barmy
Days’ was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.
Paul truly was a genius
but also an extraordinary loving humorous, courageous, humble and sensitive
soul. He left behind a great many wonderful pieces of work and perhaps even
more importantly , during his life Paul was enormously kind to a great number
of people including many that he did not even know.
“Paul made waves here, he
woke us all up and urged us into a more honest state of being. For so many he
left a speck of gold in all of us, our collective firmament shines because of
Paul, his honesty, his relentless inquisitiveness, his compassion and his
acceptance of differences and ultimately his fearless love.” Paul’s friend Cathy Battistessa
