Paul Raymond Gregory

Paul Raymond Gregory is an artist and co-founder of the Bloodstock and Bloodstock Open Air heavy metal festivals.
Early Life and Tolkien Paintings
Paul Raymond Gregory was born in Derby in 1949, the son of a builder. Paul displayed artistic talent early in life and was encouraged by his art teacher at school where he created paintings less conventional than his peers. After leaving school, Paul continued to paint part time whilst working in the furnishing trade. His early work was mostly atmospheric landscapes, usually painted on location. This period gave Paul great appreciation of nature in all its richness and diversity.
During the 1970s Paul opened an art gallery in Spondon village, approximately five miles from Derby. He exhibited several local and international artists’ work including Rex Preston, Terence Cuneo and David Shepherd. It was around this time that Paul considered producing a series of paintings based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale The Lord of the Rings which had fired his imagination as a youngster.
Having embarked on his epic journey with Tolkien, Paul produced his first canvas titled Ride of the Rohirrim which was completed in 1978 and measured a staggering 10'x 6'. This was followed by two further works, Carahdras and The Fall of Boromir. Following the completion of Ride of the Rohirrim, Paul made the acquaintance of Peter Nahum, an English art dealer and author who at that time was with Sotheby’s. On seeing Paul's work Peter offered to organise a touring exhibition at Sotheby’s throughout Great Britain culminating at the fringe at the Edinburgh Festival. This proved to be very popular and in 1984, as a direct consequence of the Edinburgh Festival show, Paul was invited to exhibit his work at the Barbican Centre in London.
As of 2011, Paul has painted a total of thirty eight Tolkien pieces. His plan to keep the original collection together proved financially unrealistic and as a result the work was sold. Peter Nahum now owns the major part of Paul’s Tolkien-inspired artwork and has staged stunning exhibitions with bespoke framing by John Davies. Kate Bush also purchased one of Paul’s Tolkien paintings and later commissioned a larger canvas The Source of the Anduin, a brooding landscape with the Iron Hills in the distance and reminiscent of Paul’s earlier work.
Over the past thirty years, Paul has enjoyed a great deal of publicity in relation to his Tolkien works, appearing on television several times including a Central Television special about the life and mythology of Tolkien. Paul does not consider his interpretation to be the definitive version, but rather considers it a serious attempt at an impossible task.
Album Artwork
In 1984, Paul made the acquaintance of Saxon and their singer Biff Byford who introduced him to the world of Heavy Metal. Paul was subsequently commissioned to do the sleeve artwork for Saxon’s Crusader album as well as the stage designs for the accompanying world tour. To date, Paul has painted eleven album covers for Saxon and has developed a great friendship with the band. Over the years, Paul has received commissions from many other well-known rock and metal bands including Blind Guardian, Molly Hatchet, Dio, Freedom Call and Uriah Heep.
Bloodstock
In 2001, Paul and his friend Vince Brotheridge founded the Bloodstock festival. Born from a desire to create an event inspired by the glory days of Donington's Monsters of Rock, two individuals from totally different backgrounds came together to bring their fellow metal heads the best festival experience in the UK.
Bloodstock was a tremendous success, attracting loyal, enthusiastic fans and great reviews right through until its final year in 2006. In 2005 and 2006, Bloodstock was partnered by the spin-off event Bloodstock Open Air, a more ambitious outdoor metal festival which has taken the spirit of the original indoor event to even greater heights. Bloodstock Open Air continues to be one of the main fixtures on the annual UK festival calendar attracting crowds in excess of 10,000. Paul also created Bloodstock’s distinctive logos and artwork, including the festival’s mascot S-tan which is based on the local legend of The Derby Ram.

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