Paul Landry was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of a doctor, and the grandson of two sea captains, one Scottish, the other French.  As a young boy, he developed an interest in art.

As he grew older, it was inevitable that he would work with fishermen on the Nova Scotia banks, pulling up nets and traps with them.  Never far away were his sketchpad and camera.  "I believe that you have to know your subject to paint it well," he says. "Spending time on the sea allowed me to know its many moods."

By age 17, Paul had gained apprenticeship status as a photo-engraver.  Later he attended Nova Scotia College of Art, and in 1957 he went to New York City, where he attended the Art Students League.  Two years later he took a brief sabbatical in Nova Scotia to paint the sea and the people who make their living from it.  From there he went to the Midwest, where he worked as a photographer and pursued an interest in commercial art.

Paul then settled in Connecticut, where he taught at Westport's Famous Artist's School and wrote the popular textbook On Drawing and Painting.  Paul then decided it was time to paint on a full-time basis.  A versatile artist, he works in a wide variety of mediums, including oil wash and etchings.

His second book, The Captain's Garden: A Reflective Journey Home Through the Art of Paul Landry, was published to unanimous praise in 1996.  Landry's paintings have a loyal and growing audience because they celebrate the spirit of life and bring back memories of halcyon days.