Welcome

Welcome to Finchley Gallery, a selection of paintings by Paul Smyth, founder of the Finchley Art Society.

On display are 280 pictures Paul Smyth painted during his lifetime (1883 to 1963). They include scenes from London, Oxford, Canvey Island, Rural England, Wales, France, Holland, Gibraltar and Egypt.

Paul Smyth was wounded during World War One. On return to England he spent 9 months at Netley Hospital near Southampton. He remained there until May 1918.

This website is a tribute by his two grand daughters, Barbara and Sue, to a very remarkable grandfather.

If you own a picture by Paul Smyth and would like to put it on the website for others to enjoy, please send us a digital copy (jpeg, gif or png file). We will give credit to the owner in the caption beneath the photo.

All paintings with the exception of FG016, FG078, FG079, FG073, FG118, FG151 are watercolours.

Tally Ho Corner North Finchley cc 1930

Tally Ho Corner North Finchley cc 1930

High Street, North Finchley

High Street, North Finchley

Church End, Finchley

Church End, Finchley

College Farm Finchley

College Farm Finchley

Woodside Park Station 2017

Woodside Park Station 2017

Restoration Work

Most of the paintings had been in a loft for over 40 years, and quite a few needed cleaning and some restoration.

Michael Gentry a picture framer and restorer based in Church Lane, East Finchley, did a good job in making many look as good as when they were first painted.

Michael Gentry


The Artist

Paul was born and grew up in Highgate, London. He started painting when he was 7 years old. By the time he was 65 years old he had painted 4000 pictures.

In 1913 he had a picture hung in the Royal Academy a the 145th exhibition. Throughout his career as a teacher and after he retired, he continued to paint until his death in 1963. In 1949 he founded the Finchley Art Society which still meets twice weekly and encourages the talent of local artists.

Read more...


Finchley Past & Present

Ballards Lane Finchley 2017

Pond at Finchley Court Ballards Lane

Rainbow in Fallow Court Avenue Finchley June 2016

Church End, Finchley

Horse Trough at Church End, Finchley

The Green Man Pub

The Green Man Pub at a later date. It was near the North Circular Road and is now demolished.



List of some of the places painted on this website

Westminster London
Cannon Street Station
Greenwich
Lots Road Wharf Chelsea 1902
Kenwood House
The Vale of Health Hampstead
Townsend Yard Highgate
St Joseph’s Highgate Hill
The Angel Inn Highgate
Richmond Bridge 1936
Torrington Park North Finchley
Friary Park North Finchley
The Treadmill Harwich
Thaxted Guildhall 1950
Dunmow Essex, The Doctor’s Pond
Magdalen Bridge Oxford 1941
Hertford College Bridge 1941
St Aldate’s Oxford 1941
Holywell Oxford 1941
Iffley Oxford 1940
The Radcliffe Camera Oxford 1941
Tregaron Wales
Chepstow Castle
Benfleet Church
The Long Road Canvey Island 1913
“The Jellicoe” Canvey Island
Bolton Abbey 1935
Canterbury Cathedral from The Close
Aylesford Bridge Kent 1928
“The Old Bay Cottage” Birchington  Kent
Rye Kent 1928
Bishops Stortford  Herts
Church Street Alton Hants
Bembridge Isle of Wight
Blakes Cottage Felpham
Winchester Weir
The Citadel Cairo 1915
Caudebec en Seine France
Gibralter
Volendam Holland
Haarlem Holland
Bruge Belgium
Ponte Vechio Florence Italy 1928