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Paul D. Rhymer


Paul comes from a family of artists and has drawn and painted his whole life. After receiving an Associate of Arts degree from a local college, he began looking for a job as an illustrator. He set out designing and illustrating brochures at the Smithsonian Institution. Eighteen years ago, he moved into a position as a Model-maker/Taxidermist, following the career path of his father, who was also a museum taxidermist. Paul says that the taxidermy keeps him looking at lots of wildlife since he often creates exhibits dealing with natural history subjects. With so much three- dimensional work at his job, Paul's painting and drawing that he had done so much of gradually began to transform into sculpture. Museum taxidermy and models must be very tight and detailed. Sculpture gives Paul an opportunity to try different interpretations with his subjects. He says, "Some artists [are able to] capture motion or a feeling with a simple brush stroke or a simple wad of clay. I wanted to explore doing that with my own work while keeping with the wildlife subject matter that I enjoy so much."