Who is Paul Kirby?
An artist, scientist, engineer, modern inventor, and inspirational person, Paul represents what can happen when you follow your passions and form them into one unique vision.
“What might be the best outcome?”
What should the outcome be for all of Paul’s efforts? Should a robot painted picture hang in an art gallery or museum? Or does the real goal lie elsewhere?
The Mona Lisa story mentioned in this video is explained just below in the video First Meeting with Leonardo da Vinci, which is about Paul walking up to the Mona Lisa as a child and tapping on it to verify that it’s painted on wood.
Early life
Corporate Research Labs
Engineering Degree
Air Force Officer
Harvard MBA
Tech Innovator
Paul Kirby’s curiosity channeled him to his passions. Raised in Northern California, he worked at HP’s corporate research labs for four summers just after high school. Paul then went on to earn an engineering degree from Cal Berkeley. Upon graduation, Paul was commissioned an officer. in the United States Air Force.
After serving his four-year tour of duty working in a military, advanced-research lab, Paul decided to pursue an MBA from Harvard. With his background in engineering and business, and after a stint working for HP in marketing, he joined the world of venture capital, investing in early-stage, high-tech companies. Watch “Brushstroke” the film to learn more!
Journey into Fusioneering
Art Meets Science & Technology
Recognizing that his fusioneering vision required knowledge in many fields, he set out to acquire skill and experience in each of these areas. This included mechanical engineering and machine shop skills, motors and gears, structural dynamics, pneumatics, programming at a high level, coding and applying many types of AI, robotics, and art.
In parallel with designing and building Dulcinea, and not knowing anything about art, he took years of art classes and study. — This evolved into a growing passion for the masters and nine trips to the great art museums of Europe to study their works.
Who Inspired Paul?
First Meeting With Leonardo Da Vinci
This is a particularly fascinating story. During a family outing to a museum in Europe, I have my first encounter with the artist and designer who will most influence my life’s work.
Da Vinci Continues To Inspire
Even today, Leonardo da Vinci’s designs and artistic sensibilities create awe and respect. I find new inspiration and encouragement with each encounter.
Building
Dulcinea
Paul’s Creative Process
If you are not going to copy a photo, since that’s not really being creative, how do you then create what the robot will paint? Well, that’s a darn good question!
“Try and fail, explore, expand, create, and re-create.”
Paul and Dulcinea are about evolving together, not the final product. Creating original art takes dedication, innovation, spontaneity, and surprise. Together, they create gripping original art and push the boundaries of what’s possible – the focus is never the finish line.
Cappuccino
From Cup to Canvas
A cup of cappuccino inspired me to create this large canvas. With fluid dynamics as a starting point, computers and the robot create the finished painting.
Swirling Timbers of Chaos
Creating the Chaos Painting
Paul Kirby’s desire to merge the worlds of his passions brought great determination and a myriad of varied methods to the creation of this enchanting work, where art and technology meet to forge deeper meaning and greater narrative scope.
Some of Paul’s Oil Paintings
Along my fusioneering journey, as I was building my robot, I learned how to paint.
The beauty within the fusion of art and science
Quoted by Paul Kirby
Nearing the end of my journey and having:
Designed and built the robot,
designed and developed all the coding
for the art,
programmed the wrist to make elegant brush strokes,
and watched Dulcinea as she skillfully creates a work of art.
If you see all that — and then if you pause and listen,
there is beauty in that performance,
the beauty within the fusion of art and science.
My hope is that you have enjoyed learning about my journey
and that some of you may be inspired to follow your own dreams.
