Paul C Nixon

In 1985, I left my home, leaving behind a loving family and friends in Ireland in pursuit of self-discovery.   Settling in White Plains, New York, I partnered with a gentleman, and for twelve years we ran a successful Mobil Gas and Repair station. Francesca, who arrived as a complaining customer. I liked her immediately and pursued her interests. After three months of dating, I proposed to her one afternoon; her answer “yes” changed the course of my life forever. Francesca saw I had a talent for woodworking and pushed me to discovered I could carve wood. I found myself drawn back to my Irish roots where two of the works I created are now on permanent display in the Sligo County Museum in Ireland, among the collected works of William Butler Yeats. NYU presented a venue called “A Taste of Yeats. On seeing my photographic works related to Yeats, they invited me to take part and provide a PowerPoint presentation about Yeats and our shared background experiences, and how the renowned tabletop Benbulbin Mountain inspired us both.

My first life-size bronze sculptures depicting a fully equipped firefighter with two children was unveiled at Greensboro’s firefighter training station in 2005, in honor of those who died on 911. I followed this by several contracts for additional public bronze sculptures, one of which is a memorial to veterans in Summerfield. Three-dimensional wood carvings allowed me to discover and see things in a more distinct way, and I soon learned to cast and make molds. Stained glass became an additional skill, as well as painting and photography.

One avenue I am earning a strong reputation is making bishops’ shepherd staffs,  called bishops’ croziers, for Catholic, Episcopal, Anglican, and Methodist bishops throughout the United States. Each bishop requests their own unique carving that is meaningful to them.

I never dreamed, looking back on that lonely flight from Dublin to New York, as my plane directed me into a world filled with an uncertain promise that changed after meeting a remarkable lady Francesca, who transformed my life from a thir year car mechanic into one who would go on to inspire others in this wonderful new world. To my beautiful soulmate who was tragically killed , the result of a horse riding accident on Mothers Day 2024. Francesca not only transformed me into a multi media, artist but also as a published author.