About the Artist
Phillip was born in Paducah, KY on May 12, 1959. He grew up on a dairy farm in Ballard County, Kentucky, just south of LaCenter, where his love of nature began. When he wasn’t doing chores, Phillip would spend his time fishing, chasing critters, exploring the creek or doing kid-things with his three brothers and one sister.
Phillip learned at an early age the meaning of hard work but he also gained an admiration of and in fact a passion for wildlife and its relationship with the environment. He developed an acute awareness of details and became familiar with the habits of and the interactions between flora and fauna of the Midwest. While he was attending Murray State University, majoring in agriculture, Phillip discovered his artistic talents. His love of nature “naturally” merged with his talent and he became a professional artist in 1986.
Phillip has shown his work throughout the midwest and east coast. He was honored by being commissioned to paint the 1992 and the 1997 Kentucky Duck Stamps. He has provided art for many Kentucky Ducks Unlimited functions and was Artist of the Year for Alabama Ducks Unlimited in 1990. Phillip was also commissioned to paint the first and second annual official prints for the Paducah Dogwood Trail. His awards and accomplishments are many but his most cherished accomplishment is increasing the viewers' awareness of the beauty of God's creation. “When a person tells me that my painting is beautiful, he or she is really complimenting the Creator because it is His creation, His 'art' that is my reference.”
Recently, Phillip has embarked on a mission to capture Kentucky's barns in his paintings. Barns built with lumber from Kentucky's native trees are quickly disappearing and being replaced with modern, metal-sided barns. For those of you with a few decades behind you, viewing Phillip's portrayals of barns, some of which have seen better days, will bring back memories of a time forever gone.
Through Phillip’s original paintings and his many limited edition reproductions, folks everywhere can enjoy his realistic interpretations of years of experiences and observations of the natural world.
“It is my hope that the person looking at my work can just sit, relax and let themselves wander into the painting and see the details, hear the serenity, and smell the various fragrances of a world that is oftentimes right outside our back door.” - Phillip Powell
See more at http://phillippowell.artistwebsites.com/