I became aware of my artistic strengths and weakness early on.

My weakness was a lack of skill in the traditional school-taught art forms of painting and carving.

My strengths were my curiosity and my ability to conceptualize a work of art in my mind, to ‘see’ a work of art before it was created.

In my youth, when I envisioned a piece of art I wanted to make, I searched for alternative ways to accomplish that vision.

That curiosity led me to tools such as cameras, enlargers and welding machines.

While I was enrolled in a glass-blowing course at OCAD in Toronto, the College sent me an outline for a new Computer Aided Design (CAD) course.

I enrolled and immediately saw the potential for CAD to help me manifest all the designs and shapes that had been swirling around in my mind for years.

I had discovered a direct connection – imagination to computer screen.

I used CAD and rapid prototyping to ‘print’ my first sculpture using these tools, then used lost wax and moulds to create that sculpture in bronze, aluminum and glass.

Moving to a new studio allowed me to create larger-scale sculptures.

How would one describe my art?

In the words of a gallery owner, my style is:

 “a curious mix of soft curves and sharp edges – where the curvilinear meets the rectilinear”.

When you view my art, my hope is that it inspires you, energizes you.

–Paul Elia

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