Paul James Rickert , 77, of Brooksville, ME & New Hope, PA; formerly of Philadelphia, PA went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at Doylestown Hospital.

He was born in Philadelphia, PA to the late William Henry Rickert, Jr. and the late Dorothy Virginia (Brown) Rickert

Paul graduated from Olney High School in Philadelphia, PA, class of 1963. He then graduated from Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, class of 1970, with a bachelors of fine arts.

Paul was drafted into the U. S. Army where he applied for assignment with the Vietnam Combat Artists Program. He was accepted and deployed to Vietnam in August 1966 where he was assigned to Combat Art Team I, serving from August 15, 1966, to December 15, 1966, under the supervision of Frank M. Sherman. Paul's works are stored and have been displayed in the Pentagon.

Following his discharge, Paul enrolled in Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, graduating in 1974. During this time, he also studied privately with artist Nelson Shanks. While still a student, his works garnered the 1972 Gold Medal of Honor from the Allied Artists of America and the 1972 Edgar Whitney Award from the American Watercolor Society.

In the Summer 1999 issue of Watercolor Magazine, Paul explained the challenges of painting using the medium, "It is a very technical medium in that one needs to plan the whole painting before beginning to apply paint to paper. It works so fast and changes so radically, it's hard to control. Almost every step has to be anticipated, including the choice of brushes and colors. That is the key to watercolor."Many of his pieces feature architectural elements, an interest he developed as a student.

Paul maintains a residence in Brooksville, Maine, a location that has served as subject of much of his works. He became attracted to Maine after reading Eliot Porter's book, Summer Island, that included photographs of coastal Stonington and Penobscot Bay. In the 1970s, Paul began spending summers in Stonington and nearby Brooksville, eventually buying a home there.

His renderings of nocturnal scenes with soft illuminations and moonlit reflections have generated comparisons of his work with that of English Romantic landscape artist, watercolorist and printmaker, Joseph Mallord William Turner. Paul's scenes of industrial sites reflect the bustle of his native Pennsylvania, where he spends the other half of his time. In June 2010, one of his watercolors was featured on the cover of the American Artist Magazine's special edition, "The Best of Watercolor".

Paul was a member of the Bucks Harbor Yacht Club in Brooksville, ME. He was a man who had a deep personal love for Jesus Christ. Paul was a member of the Brooksville United Methodist Church in Brooksville, ME and a member of Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church in New Hope, PA

Paul has received a number of awards including: Edith Ogden Harrison Award (Memorial Prize for Figure Painting) Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA; Windsor Newton Award, National Arts Club, New York (1971); Franklin Mint Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Watercolor Art, The Franklin Mint Gallery of American Art, Franklin Center, PA (1973); First Prize, Los Angeles Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, CA (1979); Charles Knox Smith Founders Prize, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (1997); and the Maybelle Longstreet Prize, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA (2000).

His lifelong passion was art and he enjoyed traveling to different places to paint. Paul was an avid eclectic reader. He was a lifelong correspondent with his friends all around the world. Paul was an avid car enthusiast.

He was a caring, kind, intellectual, meticulous man who had a dry sense of humor and was a dear friend to many.

He is survived by his sister, Jane Elizabeth Hulshizer & husband, William of Sellersville, PA; his three nieces, Beverly Jane Brooks & husband, Paul of Pembroke, NC, Elizabeth Jane Snyder & husband, Paul of Niceville, FL, Margaret Anne Savidge & husband, Timothy of Clinton, MS; and his three nephews, Jeffrey David Rickert & wife, Kara of Kernersville, NC, Todd William Hulshizer & wife, Tina of Clinton, MS, and Douglas Paul Rickert & wife, Kathryn of Conway, SC.

In addition to his parents, Paul was preceded in death by his brother, David William Rickert.

A memorial service will be held at a later date and time at Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1680 Aquetong Rd, New Hope, Pennsylvania 18938. Please check back in mid-June for details.

A private burial will take place at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Brooksville United Methodist Church, PO Box 34, Brooksville ME 04617 or Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1680 Aquetong Rd, New Hope, PA 18938 https://tmpc.org/.

Arrangements by: Anders-Detweiler Funeral Home & Crematory, 130 East Broad Street, Souderton, Pennsylvania 18964. To send online condolences to the family, visit www.andersfh.com.