DISMISSED by a teacher who predicted he would become a 'weirdo' after he left school, west Belfast artist Paul Morrison is having the last laugh as he stages his debut solo art exhibition in his home town.
The Springhill man can count David Cameron as one of his famous fans after the former prime minister bought one of his paintings called My Belfast after his wife Samantha judged an art competition Paul entered in 2013.
Paul's exhibition is being hosted at Duncairn Cultural and Arts Centre until January 13 and features a selection of industrial-looking landscape paintings, which almost look like photographs, of his native Belfast.
He has emerged as a promising young artist over the past few years, following the completion his MA in Fine Art from the University of Ulster. And while he has not painted this collection in an artist's garret, he does use a garden shed at his west Belfast home to paint in.
"I usually paint traditionally up to a point, be it the sky or the foreground, then I try to create a mark by using squares of colour layered upon each other and close together. To me personally, Belfast is full of squares and colours," he says.
"School was neither a happy nor easy place for me as I had considerable difficulties due to being dyslexic (Photo-Scotopic Sensitivity)," Paul recalls. "The three R’s didn’t come easy to me and I had to get considerable help and assistance throughout my education at all levels which compounded my difficulties as I was often isolated from my peers and classmates and was treated as a bit of a loner.
"I remember on one occasion a teacher in our senior year offered his educated and informed predictions about the future careers that each of us pupils would be likely engaged in. When my turn to fall into the limelight came the teacher paused and finally stated, 'You are just going to be a weirdo'."
Conversely, his dyslexia has left him with an unique ability to see and paint the finest of detail in complex cityscapes which he uses to stunning effect in his work.
