Paul's admirers have said they collect his work because it reminds them of a special place or time. For instance, a McCarthy rural landscape was hung in the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda, where the ambassador enjoyed a scene of his native Iowa.

Paul's paintings make viewers see the world differently. Those familiar with his characteristic perspective and unique framing have come upon a scene in the city or country and said, "That's a Paul painting!"

"I want my work to be full of me. I'm a colorist," Paul wrote in his journal in 1978."…the interaction of color to express a mood…how I react to light upon those structures and what that light can tell me.

"My art is in expression of how I think and feel, often those thoughts and feelings cannot be verbally expressed.  I'm able to transform those unexplainable feelings into work that can be seen and experienced."​​

Representative paintings from these periods are available for purchase. Please visit the Gallery.