Paul Landry's paintings of the seacoast and refuge of harbor villages are imbued with an air of romance and safety with lights on in windows providing a warm welcome home from the sea, the gardens well-tended in a luxuriant natural light.

The artist knows his subject well. Born in Nova Scotia, the grandson of two sea captains, Landry worked with the fishermen on the Canadian coast and kept both camera and sketchbook close at hand. Working his way through Nova Scotia College of Art as an apprentice photoengraver, his affinity for the sea continued to grow and he eventually settled on the Connecticut shore where he taught for many years at Westport's Famous Artist School and wrote "On Drawing and Painting," a widely used text. "I believe that you have to know your subject to paint it well...spending time on the sea has allowed me to know its many moods."

Landry's paintings of Nova Scotian seas and American towns celebrate a nostalgic spirit, bringing back memories of more serene days. "The sea, the villages that border it, and the people who work it all hold a great fascination for me...the quality of ever-changing stability makes the sea and coast unending sources of inspiration as they beckon my heart and hand."

BIRTHPLACE: Halifax, Nova Scotia EDUCATION: Nova Scotia College of Art

Art Students League, New York, NY