When entering The Lighthouse Preschool, it feels as if you are walking into an aquarium thanks to the ocean-themed mural painted by Paul Leighton.

It’s even more shocking to learn that Leighton is a firefighter, not a professional artist.

In a recent interview, Leighton said he has only been working on art in his free time for a year. His father, who is a landscape architect and graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, had been teaching his son since he was young.

“He was teaching me drawing my whole life,” explained Leighton, who served his country as a Marine before becoming a firefighter.

After picking up art again, Leighton’s sister helped him get a gig painting a mural on the side of Rick’s Roadhouse. That mural features a large rack of ribs and plywood BBQ sauce bottle. Leighton created a time-lapse video of his work to put online.

Kristin Duffy, owner of Lighthouse Preschool and a former interior designer, saw the video, and a mutual acquaintance helped the two connect. Duffy first hired Leighton to paint the vestibule area of The Farmhouse Preschool in Johnston, featuring traditional farm animals.

“That was a little trial run with her,” explained Leighton.

Moving onto Lighthouse Preschool, Duffy knew she wanted an ocean theme because the large windows made her feel like she was in a fish tank. Leighton spent 130 hours on the project.

Looking at the mural, one would think Leighton knows all of the tricks of the trade, but that’s not so.

“I had no idea what I was doing,” said Leighton. “I usually don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”

To add to the design, Leighton wanted to include 3D elements. On his first attempt, he used plaster.

“It was a disaster,” said Leighton, explaining it was too heavy.

Then he found packaging foam around the preschool from contractors. He collected the pieces, sculpted them into fish, tails, fins and tentacles, and found a way to attach them to the wall.

“It turned into a much more extensive project,” he said.

Looking forward, Leighton hopes to paint more interactive murals.

“That was the tip of the iceberg as far as 3D models for me,” said Leighton. “The potential of packing foam to make 3D elements is tremendous.”

When asked about taking art classes, Leighton admits he has thought about it but enjoys his trial-by-error process.