paula mccullough art

posted by the scholar on December 4th, 2007
filed under: art, green, home accessories, metal, mixed media

have you ever read an artist or crafter’s blog out here on the interweb that really moved and affected you, because the writings were so authentic, and then looked at their work and found a mystical holistic connection to the blog content and style? if you do, i want to know about it, but for now i will show you one i found: self taught artist from paula mccullough. the blog is all about paula and her personal, passionate journey of making art. in 2003 she packed all her belongings up and left arizona to pursue her true vocation. after some brief stops and travel through the united states, she came to settle in vermont. now, four years later, through curious trials and experimentation, she has created a broad collection of work that ranges from photography to mixed media, which is almost exclusively made with found objects. sculpture is crafted from puzzle pieces; clocks are created out of discarded industrial scrap. through her writings, we have a ringside seat to read about the creation of these works and the reasons behind them, but through her collection we receive a very intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of an artist.

paula_mccullough_the_warrior

paula_mccullough_the_warrior_side_viewpaula_mccullough_the_warrior_mohawk_detail

paula_mccullough_the_mystic

paula_mccullough_james_dean

paula_mccullough_birch_geisha

paula_mccullough_painted_clockpaula_mccullough_painted_clock_2

paula_mccullough_oktan_clockpaula_mccullough_oktan_clock_2

paula_mccullough_colored_pipespaula_mccullough_colored_pipes_detail

paula_mccullough_rings_and_panels

paula can find the soul of the object, whatever it is and despite its original purpose, and reveal its beauty to us. or is it her own soul and beauty? i know that if i were to place one of her pieces in my hands and hold it, that focused energy and urge to create and pure expression is what would resonate. and that, that precious human emotion, is the true mark of the artist.

see paula’s work in person at the west branch gallery in stowe, peruse and purchase a large selection of her pieces on her website, and read her compelling thoughts on being an artist on her wonderfully written blog.


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15 Responses to “paula mccullough art”

  1. Nellie Durand Says:
    December 4th, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    I cannot recall how I discovered Paula. I do remember I was so blown away by her creations that I had to have one. And yes, it is a pleasure to behold and to hold. I love the shadows cast by the sculptural form of her wall pieces. There’s something different about the art depending on the time of day or lighting conditions.

    Paula’s 100 clock series along with a developing cyber friendship pushed me into creating a series of my own 100 lake quilts.

  2. the scholar Says:
    December 4th, 2007 at 2:20 pm

    hi nellie,

    how exciting that you have one of paula’s pieces – i bet you have it someplace special in your home! i think your quilts are absolutely fabulous too. i smell a post coming on. 🙂

    thanks for the visit!

  3. San Says:
    December 4th, 2007 at 6:24 pm

    Hi there==

    I walked over here from Paula’s place. So glad to have discovered your blog–I look forward to exploring it.

    The pictures you put up of Paula’s art are just beautiful. Thank you for doing that.

  4. the scholar Says:
    December 4th, 2007 at 11:26 pm

    hi san,

    oh i hope that was a nice walk! of course it’s my pleasure to put paula’s photos up there. i just hope what i wrote does them justice.

    i am looking forward to tromping around your blog too. i might have been a roadrunner (or maybe a saguaro) in another life, because i LOVE new mexico!

    thanks for stopping by!

  5. technabob Says:
    December 5th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

    Those puzzle masks are so amazing. We might just have to have one of those in our house.

  6. the scholar Says:
    December 5th, 2007 at 11:17 pm

    hi bob,

    yee-haw! 🙂

  7. sosser Says:
    December 6th, 2007 at 12:40 am

    truly inspiring works.

    and you convey their powerful impression beautifully.

  8. the scholar Says:
    December 6th, 2007 at 4:13 pm

    hi sosser,

    glad to know that you see how powerful they are too.

    that second puzzle sculpture above james dean in the photos is called “the mystic.” i don’t know if it’s the barbed wire hair or actually the name of the piece, but that one just exudes brawn to me – and i don’t know if it’s physical or spiritual or what!

    anyway, thanks for coming over and taking a peek!

  9. paula Says:
    December 9th, 2007 at 8:31 am

    hey, love hearing you like the mystic…I have to tell you when I made that, it was the 2nd puzzle sculpture I ever made and it would call to me in the middle of the night, i was always getting up at 3 or 4am to work on him. I remember finishing it as the sun came up and I actually cried because I felt such power with this piece. I’m glad you resonate with something about it. It was pardon the pun, seriously a mystical experience working on him.

  10. the scholar Says:
    December 9th, 2007 at 10:15 am

    hi paula,

    your comment is so interesting! i has always thought that the mystic was the most powerful piece you had ever shown us. and I think about getting him for myself! he needs to be in a place of honor so I am trying to figure out if I have that place in my house. I also don’t know if he can share the spotlight with other art – he is that compelling to me and needs space to breathe!

    thanks for the visit!

  11. paula Says:
    December 10th, 2007 at 9:37 am

    wow, thank you….

  12. the scholar Says:
    December 10th, 2007 at 10:34 am

    you are most welcome! 🙂

  13. Lynda Lehmann Says:
    December 15th, 2007 at 5:13 pm

    Wonderful article and post on Paula’s very imaginative and compelling work!

    Lynda from Peripheral Vision

  14. the scholar Says:
    December 15th, 2007 at 11:12 pm

    hi lynda,

    i quite agree with you – paula’s work is wonderful. your photos are lovely too, by the way!

    thanks for stopping by!

  15. Paula mccullough | Hintrel Says:
    April 4th, 2012 at 5:24 am

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