Collector Stories

Every week we hear different stories and read reviews from our Paul James collectors – what they think, how they feel and general chit chat within the Paul James Gallery Family.

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”I’ve always thought that owning one of Paul’s pieces is an experience that keeps giving.

What can I say!

Our first piece was ‘Hillary’, Head in the Clouds and she was quickly followed by a rather large Jock. We bought these from a local gallery many years ago, possibly as long ago as 2006ish? In fact when I picked up ‘Jock’ I bumped into a guy leaving the gallery and the guy who then owned it said, “Oh that’s the artist you just knocked over!”

Anyway, last year I ordered online “Chillin’”. Why the long gap? We downsized to what turned out to be a bigger house which had more wall space. I then came to the new gallery, met Andreea and then fairly soon after ‘Pussy’ Tiger limited edition came to live with us.

I’ve always thought that owning one of Paul’s pieces is an experience that keeps giving. All the animals have real story, you can make up your own stories and then hidden in the picture are lots of even more stories. ‘Hillary’ still makes me smile every morning I leave to go to work!

So here’s the thing, as a result of the work Andreea has done (and the team), the start of the journey is now also an incredibly positive, enjoyable experience. From viewing, deciding, handing over the pennies, having it framed, delivery, follow up events and as Andreea often reminds me, being part of the family. Outstanding customer interaction and service to be proud of! 

Keep doing what you are doing, love the paintings, know the stories and have fun!

Will

Featured: Urban Gorilla, Box Canvas, Framed

”Andreea should definitely win a customer service award as she provided high-quality support that enabled me to find a piece of art that I had been seeking for years.

I first encountered ‘Urban Gorilla’ 10 years ago and instantly fell in love with it. The painting has many symbolic connotations that hold personal meaning. Over the years, I have sought to acquire a limited edition, and continued to search even whilst living abroad. 

I am grateful that after many years of searching, the team at the Paul James Gallery have helped me to source an ‘Urban Gorilla’ painting that proudly hangs in my apartment in Kuala Lumpur.

I would highly recommend the Paul James Gallery to friends and acquaintances. As official distributors, the gallery holds an extensive collection of work by Paul James.  I can be confident of the authentication of every art piece that I  purchase from them.

The guidance and support provided by Andreea was exceptional. She spent time understanding my needs and exceeded all expectations in sourcing me a limited edition of ‘Urban Gorilla’. This involved liaising with different agents and intermediaries and managing each stage of the process from initial purchase to safe delivery.

Andreea is personable and knowledgeable and kept me updated throughout the entire process. She responded to all my queries in a timely manner and went the extra mile to support me through the process. 

I felt valued as a customer and appreciated the efforts that were made in helping me acquire a piece that I had been seeking for several years.

I am incredibly pleased with my purchase and my experience with the Paul James Gallery was very positive. The customer service was attentive and the information was transparent with no hidden l costs.  I will remain a customer for many years to come.

I am very satisfied with the high-quality service that I received. The intrinsic value that I placed on the piece of art that I purchased is priceless and has given me enormous pleasure to look at it.

Andreea should definitely win a customer service award as she provided high-quality support that enabled me to find a piece of art that I had been seeking for several years. Without Andreea’s commitment and determination to assist me, I do not think that I would have acquired such a wonderful piece of art.

If you are looking for a piece of art I would recommend you go to the Paul James Gallery and talk to Andreea. She is knowledgeable about each art piece in the collection and will help meet your needs in owning a piece of art that you will cherish for many years to come.

Damian

”Andreea has been brilliant with not only me, but with the younger ones too, discussing the pieces with them and really making them feel involved in understanding what they are looking at.

I started collecting Paul James pieces almost 2 years ago now and Andreea has helped me build my collection to 11, with the latest addition arriving this week! 

I took my two girls to the Paul James Gallery event last month and they also fell in love with all the animals on display, so much so, my 7 year old daughter walked around the gallery with Andreea and picked out a piece which she now calls ‘Brownie’ after her love of brownies, the artwork commonly known as ‘Browned Off’.

Andreea has been brilliant with not only me, but with the younger ones too, discussing the pieces with them and really making them feel involved in understanding what they are looking at. 

Huge credit to Andreea and the whole team at the Paul James Gallery, I look forward to our continued dealings, now the girls have their favourites, they will no doubt want to add to their own collections.

Liam

”We have been collecting Paul James’ art for more than 15 years and we have just purchased our 22nd piece…

We have been collecting Paul James’ art for more than 15 years and we have just purchased our 22nd piece, so it’s fair to say we are fans of Paul’s work!

We don’t see ourselves as collectors – we own these pieces because they make us smile, every single day.

A visit to the gallery in Daventry and a chance to meet Andreea, Paul C and the rest of the team really added to the experience of purchasing a new Paul James painting. Their input, guidance and service from start to finish was simply exceptional.

More recently, we had a chance to meet Paul and his wife, Linda, during the launch of his latest piece and thoroughly enjoyed talking to them about his work over the past number of years.

Thank you Paul and thank you to the Paul James team!

 

David and Sarah

”What a great service…

Little baby Connie came to our most recent event with her parents and kept being drawn to Big Handsome Charlie – our famous mallard duck.

Little did we realise that her birthday was fast approaching and Megan and Adam quite liked the idea that Connie could have a really bespoke piece that she could treasure and appreciate for many decades to come.

Although there wasn’t much time to spare, Andreea and Paul James, together with our phenomenal framing team worked their magic to get this done very soon, just in time for the birthday.

So little Connie became our youngest collector with a truly unique original sketch…

If you too would like a similar treat for yourself or someone special to you, feel free to get in touch with our team who would be more than happy to help.

So well done team, we love making each collector feel appreciated when you add a piece to your collection – because you are. Thank you for being part of the Paul James family.

______

“What a great service…

This is the second piece I have purchased through you, Andreea… and I must say, on both occasions you have delivered a very personable, professional touch and made our purchase seem important.

This will be no doubt not the last time we use your service.

2 x very pleased parents

1 x unbeknownst very happy 1 year old baby with her first piece of art”

Adam & Megan

”The whole process was made so much easier by Andreea’s warm and professional approach…

The first piece I bought was actually ‘Gwyneth a Glimpse’. 

She sits next to my front door and keeps a watchful eye on us all! 

But I fell in love with ‘Urban Gorilla’ over a decade ago when I spotted him in a local gallery looking all moody and complex. 

I paid a deposit and spent a number of months paying for him bit by bit. The gallery owner dropped him off to me and he was stashed in the attic for a Christmas present for my husband. He was a much loved constant feature in our home and always got compliments from visitors.

I follow the Paul James gallery on social media and that’s where I spotted Andreea’s plea. 

Something about the story intrigued me and I reached out. It wasn’t easy to part with him. I guess emotionally I was attached as he represented a time in my life where I was happy and content but I let him go and I am sure he is bringing joy to his new owners. Maybe we will meet again!

I have to say the whole process was made so much easier by Andreea’s warm and professional approach. Her emails were informative and timely. She was understanding and guided me carefully through the process as it was quite daunting organising the logistics of transporting a priceless piece of art! 

‘Urban Gorilla’ now has a new home and I still can’t quite believe that we now have two fabulous new pieces to admire.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andreea for her guidance, patience and warmth. 

I feel she gave me the space to reflect on my decision and also understood the emotional attachment I had to the piece. I trusted her which is a reflection of her professionalism and integrity.

I wish Paul and the team continued success and creativity and will avidly follow your journey for many years to come.

Gillian

”Our sixth form students had the opportunity to meet virtually with artist Paul James in order to gain some understanding of the ways in which artists forge and sustain a career.

Paul has over four decades of experience as a working artist and shared his insight into the complexities and rewards of being an artist and described the journey from schoolboy to where he is today. 

The students were able to ask questions and Paul provided lots of answers that de-mystified the route into the art world that stifles so many young artists. 

Paul talked about his early career promoting pet portraits by advertising his work in various veterinary surgeries, to pushing his own more personally satisfying work by going from gallery to gallery around London to find an audience. 

The manner in which his work has changed over the years was really interesting to the students and has filtered into their own ideas for their GCSE and A level coursework.

This was a rare and valuable Q&A for the students with a practicing artist who communicated with them in the most accessible way showing examples of his work from his studio/gallery in England whilst being at home in Ireland.

Mr Vine

”Andreea became part of our family for the time she spent searching for a seller of Posh, and I’ll forever be grateful for what she has given us.

I’d like to write to you to convey just how grateful we are for your team member Andreea and her bottomless efforts to locate Posh for my mother.

My mother saw Posh in a gallery long time ago. She was a student and so were her daughters. 

We had very little money, and so couldn’t buy her. But over the years my mum has regularly talked about the painting. And so, me and my sister pushed to find a print of Posh for my mums 60th birthday which fell on Valentine’s Day this year.

I contacted the Paul James Gallery at the beginning of this year. 

Long story short, the lengths that Andreea went to, the amount of time and effort she put into finding us a print, has been nothing short of incredible. Incredible. 

It’s like she took our story to heart, and wouldn’t let us down. She worked so so hard.

My mum finally got a limited edition number of Posh, in one piece and with a personal note from Paul James himself (all Andreea’s doing) in august. She cried, a lot, tears of joy and shock.

This is the greatest gift we’ll ever give our mum. Our mum who always supported us, and the joy it has brought us to give her this piece has been immeasurable.

Andreea became part of our family for the time she spent searching for a seller of Posh, and I’ll forever be grateful for what she has given us. I just hope she knows how much we appreciate what she’s done for us.

The gallery team as a whole has been the utmost professional and helpful. I’m so touched. We all are. So personable and thoughtful.

Thank you so much everyone. Especially Paul James and Andreea.

Featured: King of the Road and Urban Gorilla, Box Canvas, Framed

”Andreea’s perseverance really paid off and we are absolutely thrilled with it.

I first came across Paul James over 10 years’ ago visiting a gallery in London.

I was totally blown away by the incredible detail of his technique, the compositions and, being an avid wildlife fan, found the subject matter very appealing. Somehow or other, I never quite got round to purchasing a piece, but I still enjoyed visiting his website from time to time and seeing the new paintings.

Then, I received an email from the gallery showcasing Paul’s new lion painting, King of the Road. My wife and I were so impressed with this piece (and particularly the contrast of the urban graffiti theme) that we chose to buy one and place it in ‘pride’ of place in our living room on one side of a chimney breast.

After a short while, we both decided that it really needed a companion piece the other side of the chimney breast to replace an existing painting.

However, the only painting my wife and I could agree on purchasing was Paul’s Urban Gorilla.

Having contacted the gallery, we found to our dismay that this edition was sold out and no more pieces were available. However, Andreea realised how much we liked the piece so she said that she might be able to help.

Several weeks went by, and to be honest I didn’t share Andreea’s confidence this could be done and this only diminished over time, but one day she called to confirm that our ‘Urban Gorilla’ was now at the Gallery!

Andreea and Paul then hand delivered it to us at our home and we hung it together. Andreea’s perseverance really paid off and we are absolutely thrilled with it.

We are very grateful to Andreea for persisting with this on our behalf (and for what was presumably a lot of work behind the scenes to make this all work), she really did go above and beyond. We thoroughly recommend her and the Artizen experience.

Oliver

”The whole process has been excellent with the team at Paul James Gallery going the extra mile to exceed expectations, a great customer experience reminding you of what great service used to be.

“Stylish Stan” has been welcomed into our family and onto our wall, he’s a fantastic addition and brings a smile to you whenever he catches your eye. 

The quality of the printing and framing is outstanding. The colours, details and contrasts are not given justice via a screen and deserve to be seen in the flesh.

The whole process has been excellent with the team at Paul James Gallery going the extra mile to exceed expectations, a great customer experience reminding you of what great service used to be. 

A birthday note from Paul (the picture was for my wife’s birthday – a special one..) and personal delivery from one of the team topped off the experience.

Would thoroughly recommend, it’s an amazing picture beautifully presented. Paul James is an extremely talented artist and it’s an honour to have a piece of Urban Graffiti our home.

James

”Thanks Paul James and the team.

Andreea – amazing & knowledgeable individual. She had traffic issues and changed the plan to suit our needs. She is amazing and such good company.
Charlie’s new home for the New Normal is fab. We love him. Thanks Paul James and the team.
Michelle 

”The planning was dealt with secretly and when I arrived at the gallery (I had no idea where I was going) Andreea dealt with us professionally and had even arranged for Paul James to “pop in” while we were there.

An all round amazing experience dealing with Andreea at Paul James Gallery.

This was a surprise for my 60th birthday present, as my husband knew I had admired Paul James paintings for some time.

The planning was dealt with secretly and when I arrived at the gallery (I had no idea where I was going) Andreea dealt with us professionally and had even arranged for Paul James to “pop in” while we were there.

Paul was inspiring, spending so much time with us talking about his painting career and introducing us to some of his paintings personally.

Who would know he is also a very talented musician too, playing us some pieces on his piano within his studio.

We can not thank Paul and Andreea enough for the time they spent with us and the personal touch, it really made my day very special and one to remember.

I chose Philosophical Charlie, as there are many references within this painting that echo in our family life, past and present. I do suspect this will not be our one and only painting from Paul James, we will watch with interest as new pieces arrive.

Thanks again to Andreea for making what was a special day even more memorable.

Louise

”So many thanks for making her day extra special.

She adored it!
This is a present we bought our daughter Harriet for her 21st birthday.
 
Firstly she couldn’t believe that we’d got it for her, secondly that we had remembered which of the collection she had fallen in love with in the gallery and lastly, that Paul had taken time out to write the personal message…
 
So many thanks for making her day extra special.

Sue and John

Featured: King of the Road, Box Canvas, Framed

”To cap it all off, after revealing the painting had arrived in time for my birthday, a card from the whole team duly arrived by post. Fabulous – we can’t wait to visit the museum.

Now in pride of place, we are delighted with our first piece of Paul James art, simply stunning.

From start to finish it’s been a great experience, Andreea couldn’t have been more helpful arranging for a bespoke frame and the piece was delivered and carefully unpacked by Paul C.

To cap it all off, after revealing the painting had arrived in time for my birthday, a card from the whole team duly arrived by post. Fabulous – we can’t wait to visit the museum.

Claire

Featured: Wize Gize and Chillin, Box Canvas, Unframed

”I would definitely recommend a visit.

A great experience.

I travelled to the Gallery to have a look and purchase some artwork. In advance of this Andreea had talked me through with video how the artwork would look in my room.

The Gallery is well thought out and has some really top quality pieces of artwork in there and Andreea was super helpful. The detail on the animals is superb.

I would definitely recommend a visit.

Paul

Featured: King of the Road, Canvas, Framed

”I literally haven’t been able to stop looking at it since it has arrived.

I’ve been a fan of Paul’s work for over 10 years, but for some reason have never got around to purchasing one.

Well that has now changed and I am the proud owned of ‘King of the Road’, his latest piece of a large adult, male lion in an urban setting with graffiti daubed on walls. It is a masterpiece. 

I love the incredibly detailed illustrative technique to Paul’s pieces, particularly the hair-work, and the contrast between nature and the inner city in this series. 

There are a plethora of lion references scattered throughout. This piece has amazing presence and sits proudly in our living room in ‘pride’ of place. 

I literally haven’t been able to stop looking at it since it has arrived.

 

Oliver

”Spotted is the exact limited edition we were looking for.

This limited edition painting is the amazing finishing touch we were looking for to go above the fireplace.
 
We loved Paul’s works so much we have purchased another two limited edition paintings for the left hand side wall. This will then complete our lounge.🥰

Emily

Featured: Tagging Along, Mounted Paper, Framed

”As soon as I set eyes on ‘Tagging Along’ I knew I had to have it.

I happened to be in a gallery in London when I first came across a Paul James piece. It simply blew my mind. 

I’m not going to say that Paul’s work is particularly me, however his Urban Graffiti editions are very very much me. The contrast of the two styles is mind-blowing. The bright colours of the street graffiti against the detail of the animals is fantastic. 

As soon as I set eyes on ‘Tagging Along’ I knew I had to have it. 

The whole Paul James team are outstanding. Their knowledge, understanding and commitment to Paul and his work are a credit to him. It’s all a very comfortable experience.

I’m delighted with my purchase as is everyone that’s seen it. It’s fair to say the piece is a striking addition to the room.

Andreea was amazing throughout the process. She was incredibly patient as I was more than likely becoming increasingly annoying toying from option to option.

But that was the problem! In trying to accommodate my every need, she provided option after option. Every Ummm or Errr I voiced she had a solution! We finally, after many conversations got there and I have ‘Tagging Along’ on the wall. 

At one point she even had me on a FaceTime with Paul James!

Andreea, Paul, and Lucy (and Paul James of course) have exercised customer service to the highest degree. 

I would recommend the Paul James Gallery simply by saying: don’t even think about, just go, buy one and bang it on the wall – you’ll love it!

Mike

Featured: King of the Road, Box Canvas, Framed

”We absolutely adore our picture, it’s just mesmerising every time I look at it…

We chose to buy King Of The Road because it is an outstanding piece of art and also, we had previously purchased from yourselves and had excellent service. The team go above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect, we couldn’t visit the gallery due to Covid but Andreea sent us lots of photos, showing us the incredible detail in the picture, we then knew we had to have it.

At previous visits to the gallery, we have always been warmly welcomed, there is a relaxed atmosphere and no pressure to buy… But its very hard to resist!

We also loved hearing the stories behind the pictures from Andreea and Molly, it gives the artwork another level of depth knowing the origins and ideas behind them.

Prior to my visit at the Paul James Gallery, I would have been apprehensive about buying from a gallery. Hidden costs and paying a premium would have put me off, however, this was not my experience at your gallery. The pricing was clear and fair and I felt I was getting excellent value for money.

We bought our piece whilst in the process of moving, so we have had to patiently wait before we could display it. This has meant at lot of choices regarding our kitchen refit have been based around the piece, as we planned for it to be the focal point of the room.

We absolutely adore our picture, its just mesmerising and every time I look at it I notice another hidden message, or lion pun! It will be appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come.

Lucy

Featured: Urban Graffiti Collection, Box Canvas, Framed

”We absolutely adore Paul James’ work and couldn’t be happier with the service!

We’ve recently purchased 4 more paintings bringing our collection to 7!

We used their bespoke framing service this time to ensure the paintings would fit between our panelling and light fittings.

The staff were so helpful and patient with us as we changed our mind a billion times, making sure we could get the right fit!

We absolutely adore the work and couldn’t be happier with the service!

Thanks again! Now to furnish the room!

Jessica & Adrian

Featured: Mr B, Mounted Paper, Framed

”The service from start to finish has been excellent and the courtesy calls from Andreea much appreciated.

We are delighted with Mr B3. 

He looks right at home on our bedroom wall with Mr B and Mr B2. 

The service from start to finish has been excellent and the courtesy calls from Andreea much appreciated. 

A well done to the delivery driver who arrived spot on time despite the heavy snow!

Monica

Featured: Brown and Out, Mounted Paper, Framed

”Well done guys, we will be back soon.

We recently purchased another fine piece – “Brown and Out“.

We couldn’t be more pleased with the Paul James Gallery team and even during a pandemic, Andreea made the purchase very easy and was exceptionally helpful and professional.

Well done guys we will be back soon.

Charee

Featured: The Lads, Mounted Paper, Framed

”Love the gallery and the people…

Love the gallery and the people…

Great service right from enquiring about visiting in these strange times right through to delivery of ‘The Lads’ last week who are now happily hanging around in our kitchen – LOVE them!

Thank you Team Paul James!

Jacqueline

”We have had such a positive experience buying some wonderful pieces that now have pride of place in the home.

Thank you to the team at the Paul James Gallery.

We have had such a positive experience buying some wonderful pieces that now have pride of place in the home. 

Andreea’s enthusiasm for Paul’s work throughout the virtual tour was the perfect endorsement for his work. We couldn’t be happier!

Tom

Featured: Pussy and King of the Road, Mounted Paper, Framed

”Andreea and the support team also provide a first class service.

Andreea and the support team also provide a first class service.

Just picked up “Pussy”, he is called Parker, you can now find him chilling, sometimes guarding the top of our stairs. Thank you!

 

William

Featured: Ozzy, Mounted Paper, Framed

”We found the team of curators to be very friendly…

We found this gallery by accident and found that they were having an open day with a chance to meet the artist.

We already owned one of his paintings so we attended and found Paul James and the curators to be very friendly, informative and certainly not pushy regarding a sale.

We bought Ozzy, a print we had thought of buying for some time. We wanted a different frame from their norm but the curator contacted their framers and dealt with the entire process on our behalf.

The print was framed to our specifications and delivered personally by the framers. It now hangs happily in our living room.

We now have our eye on Grizzly…

I would certainly not only strongly recommend this artist, who was interesting to chat to, but this gallery as well.

Vicky

Featured: King of the Road, Box Canvas, Framed

”The Paul James team have made us feel like part of the family, we have had such a great experience meeting them all, visiting the museum and gallery and most of all the chance to meet and chat with Paul James.

“We absolutely love the Urban Graffiti Collection by Paul James.

It really embraces our own experiences as my wife and I both come from a big city and now love and live in the country.

The humour and irony in the paintings offer great talking points and really bring our interior design to life.

The Paul James team have made us feel like part of the family, we have had such a great experience meeting them all, visiting the museum and gallery and most of all the chance to meet and chat with Paul James.

We already find that some of our purchases are highly sought after and obviously they are all strong investments that can be enjoyed.

Thank you to Paul James and his team for everything.”

Gareth & Sofia

Featured: Stylish Stan, Mounted Paper, Framed

”Bought as a birthday present, the gallery was extremely helpful, efficient and gave us extra and bonus items when ordering.

“Bought as a birthday present, the gallery was extremely helpful, efficient and gave us extra and bonus items when ordering. 

The staff were all over it and I can’t thank them enough for making the present even more special, even a ‘Happy Birthday’ video from Paul James himself!

I am so glad I went direct to the official gallery rather than other galleries.”

“

Eimear

”As an artist myself, it really got me thinking how wonderful it was for someone like Andreea to tell your story.

Today I was fortunate to visit the Paul James Gallery in Daventry. I was greeted by Andreea.

Not only was I wowed by the beautiful display of magnificent originals & prints of Paul James artwork, but was enchanted by Andreea who took me on a wonderful tour of a glimpse of the story behind Paul & the meaningful pieces of some of his artwork.

I loved it so much I’m already looking forward to going back to hear more.

As an artist myself, it really got me thinking how wonderful it was for someone like Andreea to tell your story.

Thank you so much for your time.

Alan

Featured: The Lads, Box Canvas, Framed

”We are now the proud new owners of Dave and The Lads who join our existing Road to Morella, Cow Girls and Angelina – they all look magnificent and we couldn’t be happier.

Fantastic service and great communication.

We have recently purchased 3 new pieces which brings us to a total of 5 by Paul James.

The personal service from Andreea, the curator, is second to none.

She sorted everything out for us including the different frames and delivery.

Andreea checked that our pictures had arrived safely and we were happy with our purchases.

We are now the proud new owners of Dave and The Lads who join our existing Road to Morella, Cow Girls and Angelina – they all look magnificent and we couldn’t be happier.

Terry & Sarah

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