Career
Early years
Leo himself said that he had always painted for as long as he could remember. Paintings survive from 1927, produced by van Paemel in Lissewege, Uitkerke and the former fishing port of Blankenberge. At that time he was just 13 years old and a student at the State Middle School ("Rated Maximum Sinusoidal") in Blankenberge where his artistic talent was identified and encouraged, earning him privileges including the right to have his paintings used to decorated the walls of the school"s covered play area.
Leo"s uncle was the artist (who later concentrated on engraving for which today he is better remembered) Jules Van Paemel, who did much to support the nephew"s talent.
His contemporaries included January Cox, Jack Godderis, René De Coninck, Mark Macken, Mark Mendelson and, from Bruges in his own region, Luc Peire and Luc De Jaegher. Middle and later years
From 1942 till 1946 van Paemel had his own studio in Brussels, but in 1946 he returned to Blankenberge.
From the 1960s he was able to make art his profession. In 1968 he relocated to nearby Bruges where his studio was centrally located close to the city"s famous Bell Tower.
lieutenant was in Bruges that he died, but he is buried in Blankenberge.
