The eldest of six children, Paul Stommel was born in Amsterdam, Holland on August 13, 1946. At 10 years of age, he emigrated with his family to America through New York Harbor. With resilience and tenacity, his family made Fresno, California their new home. Stommel graduated from McLane High School in 1964. After marrying his high school sweetheart, Kathleen in 1967, he served 2 years in the United States Army stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. With a familial love for creativity, Paul became a licensed Architect in 1988 and practiced structural artistry for 41 years. After retiring in 2012, he exchanged the pen for the paintbrush. A self-taught artist working in acrylic and watercolor, Paul expresses his emotions through a variety of conceptual phenomena in color, shapes, and movement, communicating his passion to those who observe his work. Paul is the recipient of such local awards and honors as the Blossom Trail Poster Contest and the Distinguished Artist to the Sister City of Kochi, Japan. He has also been a guest instructor for the Clovis Art Guild. Paul’s closing thought: “God has given me a talent that I desire to explore in the creation of art. It is my movement within myself that gives me energy to express my emotions on canvas. My goal is to, in turn, move you.”