Hermosa artist Paul Folwell is always on the hunt for something new to see – and paint.
And so when he opens his studio doors for his annual weekendlong show for the 29th time starting today (July 29), he’s looking forward to selling his work so he can begin working on a new project; in fact, when asked what his favorite piece is, his answer is “My next one.”
“We’ve got some new things and we’ve brought out some older stuff; it’s a fairly wide variety,” he said. “We’ve got quite a few paintings up, we must have well over 30, so there will be quite a bit to choose from.”
This year, Folwell is also offering a preview video of the show, which you can find on his website paulfolwell.com and durangoherald.com. He began making videos during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when he took to Facebook Live when it was impossible to host in-person events.
“That was really amazing because that was probably the easiest show I ever did ... no one showed up and I sat on the couch and drank wine,” he said laughing.
If you go
What: 29th annual Paul Folwell Studio Show.
When: Artists reception 4-7 p.m. Friday (July 29); noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Where: 8199 County Road 203.
More information: Visit paulfolwell.com.
This year’s video features Folwell discussing the paintings that are for sale. And while they are mostly oil paintings, he said he has also been working on creating computer art for a while but he’s not sure how he wants to put his work in that medium out yet.
As for what still makes art fun for Folwell, he said the important ingredient is curiosity, whether that comes from the frequent hikes he goes on or working with other artists – or even alone.
“I get inspired just around here, you know? I mean, you start looking at things – I always look for something new ... you know, if you’re out walking with people, then you don’t see as much. But when you’re walking by yourself, I always look for something I haven’t seen before,” he said. “When you start looking, it’s kind of a meditative thing, the more you see, the more you look. Trying to figure out the light and everything, it’s curiosity; I think the key word is ‘curiosity’: How does it work? Then you get into it, and you go from there.
“A lot of times I’ve gone out painting with friends, and somebody will pick a location and next time, you pick a location. I’ve found out sometimes I do better when somebody else picks the location because it really forces you to look,” he said.
katie@durangoherald.com
