By DARLA MCCAMMON

Lakeland Art Association

Paul Raiman next to pieces of his work.

WARSAW — We interrupt our series/study of eccentric artists to tell you about one in our local community who is not eccentric but certainly artistic.  Paul Raiman was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., and at an early age, in his father’s darkroom was introduced to black and white photography, film developing and printing.  Raiman not only loved the forests and terrain around him, but he used it to produce finished photographs from that film well before the time digital photography came on the scene. Working in that basement darkroom as a youngster was to be a stable activity in Raiman’s life that would stand him in good stead when things suddenly changed in his adulthood.

Raiman’s exhibit will be up for the next two months at the lovely space Mayor Thallemer and the Warsaw City Council have allocated for art exhibits.  You will enjoy the myriad of subjects and the talented execution of the finished photographs from the fingers of this former surgeon.

Raiman went through several medical schools when younger, was successful in obtaining his doctoral degrees needed for this line of work, and eventually joined a surgical practice in Fort Wayne, Indiana where his creative fingers performed surgeries.  In 2012 his life dramatically changed with a neurological condition that ended his career in surgery.  Courageously, he turned back to his first loves: photography and nature.  He also worked to learn about new techniques in creative photography including unique lighting and digital imaging processes.  Raiman is now exhibiting many of his wonderful pieces at the Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery which is open, free to the public, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  This gallery is across the street from the courthouse building with visitor parking at the west side entrance.

Raiman has achieved a great deal of success with his venture into artistic photography.  His work has been exhibited at Artlink in Fort Wayne, the Honeywell Center in Wabash, LaFontaine Arts Council of Huntington, the Millrace Photography Contest and Exhibit in Goshen, Lakeland Art Gallery in Warsaw, and at New Haven Parks and Recreation.  His work was given a number of top awards in these competitions.  One of Raiman’s photos was used for a Land Conservancy Magazine cover early this year and he was recognized about his career change in a story titled “A Shift in Focus,” in Fort Wayne Living magazine.

Upcoming and Current Events: 

• Iris exhibit at Mount Memorial on Grace College Campus. Sept. 1 through Oct. 7.
• Paul Ramain exhibit at Warsaw City Hall. Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free Admission.
• John Streeter pastel workshop coming to LAA Oct. 7. Take home a framed, finished work. $65.
• Teresa Breading is back Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. to teach a watercolor class $25 includes all supplies.
• Also coming soon to Lakeland Art, an artisan’s fair at the fairgrounds. Stay tuned for information.

For more information on topics in this column, please contact Darla McCammon at [email protected] or (574) 527-4044. Older columns at www.darlamc.com