Paul Devine was born in Boston in 1951, and attended Massachusetts College of Art. He has worked as a trade show exhibit designer, cabinetmaker, draftsman and mechanical designer. Beginning in 2001, he has devoted much more of his time to drawing and painting the suburban landscapes surrounding his Woburn, Massachusetts home.

"The last 30 years have brought a new "urbanism" to the suburbs north of Boston. No longer just bedroom communities, these are now places where we both live and work, and where the automobile rules. The chaotic arrangement of stripmalls, office buildings, parking lots and vehicles are the inspiration for this group of works.

I choose the subjects after sensing some immediate, strong impression such as a shadow under an awning, a humorous arrangement of roadway markings, or the strength and power of a truck tractor. I do drawings on site, and allow prominent or interesting features determine the direction of the composition. I’m less interested in an accurate representation of the scene, and encourage myself to exaggerate form and manipulate scale. What interests me is the challenge of maintaining a balance between intense conscious observation and the subconscious direction of the drawing. This results in an image that reveals a unique personal view in a language that can be understood to the viewer.

To preserve the immediacy of the initial impression, I often use the original drawing as the base for the painting, or transfer it to a larger format. The use of transparent acrylic washes surrounded by heavy black line creates accidental nuances and textures that complement the process, and intensify the focus of the original drawing."