Parents: Monroe John, and Alice Priscilla (Salter) Willner.
J.R. Terrier, Willy, before Easter dinner at home.
02' Harley Davidson V-Rod.. J.R. Terrier, Mac, loves to ride inside my jacket.
Hank, now father of two litters of J.R. Terriers, 12 pups total, seen here licking audience members of the Orange Park Acres 4th of July Parade.
Bonnie Bright, the artist who designed Paul's web site. Check out her work at: Bright Illustration

"The glory of great men must always be measured against the means they have used to acquire it." Francois Due de La Rochenfoucauld

About the Artist

Paul's dad Monroe J. Willner put himself through Georgia Tech, was a radio man on a Merchant Marine ship in WWII, retired from Hughs Aircraft as an Advanced Senior Scientist in Electrical Engineering, and, authored several books.

His Mother Alice 'Priscilla' (Salter) grew up on a farm in rural Georgia, became a rivitor on B-52 Bombers out of Atlanta, GA. the day she turned 18; also a mult-talented artist and craftsman, gourmet cook, and, mother of 5 children.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico after sister, Barbara Catalina, and three younger brothers: Ross Cecil;
Huntsville, Alabama. Lance Watson; Dallas, Texas,
and, Claude Wesley, Torrance, CA.

Paul first discovered while young the talents of many fine artists. He would admire a single painting or piece of art through books, magazines or in person through museums and art exhibits, looking at them for hours at a time and imagining what it would take to create them.

During his third year as a Theater Design major at California State University Fullerton he was offered a job with the renowned animal artist William C. Gilpin in Irvine, CA.

William C. Gilpin was a WWII soldier and reknowned hero. His picture with his helmet and machine gun was featured on an article about him on the front page of the New York Times for his heroics. He was declared a hero in France for saving an entire French Village discovered hidden in a cave by almost single handed fighting off over 300 enemy soldiers. He spent over three months recovering from a neck wound in Britain after surviving a firing squad at the Battle of the Bulge.

Gilpin's dream was to have a date with the famous actress and singer, Rita Hayworth after the war..he made his dream come true.

As Gilpin's protege', Paul David drew three highly detailed and acclaimed charcoal drawings which were made into limited edition prints.

During his third year as a Theater Design major at California State University Fullerton he took a job with a renowned animal artist William C. Gilpin in Irvine, CA. As Gilpin's protege' he drew three highly detailed and acclaimed charcoal drawings which were made into limited edition prints.

The first was completed through an exacting procedure Gilpin had taught him and was titled, "Black Swans", completed in 1977. The next two were completed in 1978 and were influenced by the sharply detailed black and white photography of Ansel Adams. "Ode To The Indians", the portrait of a Sioux Indian chief, with a landscape of plains below, includes intriguing layers of clouds with a small full moon at the center of his heart (as if he could spiritually fly to the moon 'within'). "The Old Wagon" took over two months of painstaking detail to capture the scene of an abandoned wagon with a makeshift fence at a butte in the Rocky Mountains of Utah.

William C. Gilpin

Gilpin & admirer wearing his Army coat with medals at his home in Park Newport, 1981.
   

Later that year in 1978 an exhibition of Gilpin and Willner's work was held at Park Newport with the famous actress and dancer Rita Hayworth as hostess. A limited edition of 1,000 signed and numbered prints each of the charcoal drawings went on sale, and the last remaining prints of the three editions are priced at $80.00 each.

Framed prints have since been used for auction to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Assistance League of Tustin. In a sincere attempt to help improve the plight of the Sioux, Willner contributed his time over a three year period helping the Walking Shield American Indian Society ship medical supplies, educational materials and humanitarian items to improve the lives of those in need on American Indian reservations.

In 1988 he was commissioned by the wealthy and noted socialite, Mary Ann Miller of Newport Beach, to research and render an open vignette set portraying the city of Detroit for the March of Dimes Golden Anniversary Birth Defect Foundation held at the Irvine Hilton Towers. The event attended by Ryan O'Neil and Farrah Fawcett raised over $100,000.00. The Detroit vignette was judged 'Best Of Show' competing against 13 other sponsored 'city' sets.

In 1983 world famous Beverly Hills designer Joe Hooper selected Paul for the painting of murals for 20th Century Fox Studios. These works were painted in the style of Georgia O'Keeffe in the suite of Academy Award winning producer Julia Phillips, ("The Sting," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Taxi Driver"),. In her 1992 #1 Nationwide Bestseller book, "You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again," Julia Phillips wrote, "I have obviated every last gray tile of Dan Melnick's by having a spray-paint artist replicate Georgia O' Keeffe's, Sky Above Clouds ad infinitum.....It gives me peace - the sky the clouds the space."

Paul helped design and orchestrated a team of a ten artist crew for the United Artists Egyptian Theater, Westwood (1983-84), which was created to experience a feeling of ancient Egyptian times. All the murals, hieroglyphics, stone tablets and carved reliefs were painted to look authentic, as they appeared in the lives of the ancient Egyptians beneath auditorium's trompe l'oeil evening sky.

Other projects included: Culver Studios, United Artist Theater in Pasadena (1984), Cineplex Odeon Showcase Theater (1985) - previously The Gordon Theater. The walls and ceiling murals had been painted by the Toney Heinsbergen Company in 1931 and were fully restored. Additionally, The Willner Mural Co. restored the art deco Fairfax Theater (1986), West Hollywood's Plummer Park Fiesta Hall (1990), and the new theme design of 'Seventy Hollywood Star Legends' of the Mann's Culver City Theater (1991).

All the projects above were completed with talented crew who contributed greatly to each projects success.

In 2000 Willner met with developer and architectural engineer Michael F.
Harrah of Caribou Industries. Harrah commissioned 15 classical murals for the Santa Ana Performing Arts and Events Center. Reproductions of the works of Titain, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Lord Leighton and Ingress were painted in a studio of the historic Santora Building that was converted into artist studios and owned by Michael Harrah. These murals now grace the walls of the lavishly restored and decorated Santa Ana Performing Arts and Events Center, formerly the Masonic Temple built in the 1920's and located at 5th & Sycamore Streets in downtown Santa Ana.

Since then the Tropicana Room in the SAPAEC has opened for receptions and events after being decorated with a Trompe L' Oeil sky on the ceiling and faux finished walls, ceilings and columns. This project was completed in conjunction with David Anthony Reid a multitalented artist, originally from New York, now residing in Venice Beach, California.

The most recent of the large scale projects was the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Spa & Resort. The Spa Facility was decorated with Trompe L' Oeil sky ceilings and over 6,000 square feet of wall glazing to mimic the look of an old Roman bathhouse with hand painted scrolled vignettes. And, various faux finishes in Pete Mallory's Surf City Sunset Grill adjacent to the only bridge in Huntington Beach spanning the Coast Highway from the Hyatt to the beach.

A five member crew worked days and nights to complete the project for opening day. (A list of crew members is available which include; artists, muralists, faux finishers, sculptors, graphic artists...). This project was completed in conjunction with Barbara Boydston of Vermillion Interiors Las Vegas, Mark Burkhardt of MFA, and, Shawn Millbern of the Robert Mayer Corporation of Newport Beach and Riley Robinson the head General Contractor.

Paul has long loved collecting fine art and owns a hand- colored etching by Salvador Dali, an original Larry Bell 'Vapor Drawing' on paper (crystal vaporized on a NASA) as well as numerous reproductions of paintings and drawings like those of Andrew Wyeth, Pieter Bruegel The Elder, Thomas Hart Benton, Diego Rivera, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, JW Turner, Winslow Homer, Maxfield Parrish, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da vinci and William C. Gilpin.

Paul David Willner's skill and love of art is available for on site and studio art and design projects including theaters, hotels, restaurants, halls, event centers and homes.

The growing demand for his work has allowed him to create large oil and acrylic paintings, elaborate faux and special finishes along with "Trompe L'Oeil" embracing the ceilings and walls of public buildings and of the living areas in numerous west coast homes.

Paul also shares his private work throughout his career like his painting, "The Last Thing About Nevermore."

 
Website design and programming by: www.brightillustration.com