Last summer, we all thought Paul Folwell’s 30th annual studio show would be his last.
Including the artist himself, although last year, he did give himself a bit of an out with this reporter by saying, “never say never.”
And there’s a practical reason for his show to go on this year: “I have a studio full of paintings, and we have to do something with them,” he said.
Kicking off with an Artist Reception on July 26 and featuring studio hours on July 27 and 28, Folwell will once again open the doors to his art space for a weekend of socializing and showing off his work.
If you go
WHAT: 31st Annual Paul Folwell Studio Show.
WHEN: Artist Reception 4-7 p.m. July 26; noon-5 p.m. July 27-28.
WHERE: 8199 County Road 203.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit paulfolwell.com, call 759-4870 or email paulfolwell.com.
Folwell, who considers himself semiretired, is preparing his paintings for the show, and for those interested in a sneak peek – and to learn a little about his artistic process – there’s a new video on his website produced by Durango photographer Gunnar Conrad.
Folwell works primarily in oils, and his work features a lot of landscapes he finds interesting when he’s out on hikes, subjects he said he tends to share with people who appreciate and collect his work.
“There’s always something to learn,” he said. “And that old saying I use is, ‘The more you see, the more you look, the more you look, the more you see.’ I love to hike. And one of the things was, you’re out, you’re walking around, you really get a chance to look. And I think most of the people that are interested in my work like to do the same things I do. You know, they like to hike, they like to ski and get out, and that’s who my audience is. ... The people around here are pretty active, when you look at this community, and so I think that I relate pretty well to a lot of the people here.”
And to host an annual show for more than three decades, Folwell said he’s seen a lot of art enthusiasts come through his studio doors – some repeat customers and some new.
“They bring their friends,” he said. “We have third-generation people have come and buy – their parents, grandparents bought something. So that’s pretty neat. That’s a heck of a compliment for me, you know, ... I feel really good about that.”
katie@durangoherald.com
