Born in 1949 in New Orleans, Paul grew up in Knoxville, TN. In 1967, he moved to St. Petersburg to attend Florida Presbyterian University, now Eckerd College, where he received his art degree. He went on to build a welding studio at his home where he worked for most of his life. He has commissioned works throughout the city. His most notable sculptures are a series of armadillos at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and a giant lizard atop the Police Fleet Garage. He participated in numerous shows at the Arts Center over the years. He and his wife Sandy had a two-person exhibition at the Center in 1978, where the Boyd Hill Birds were debuted. He also had a solo show in the current building in 2003 called Frozen Steel & Silica, which included his collaborative work with glass artist Duncan McClellan.