For the last 30 years, Hermosa-based artist Paul Folwell has thrown open his studio doors for a weekend in the summer to give art lovers the chance to not only pick up new pieces for their collections and socialize, but to get an inside look at a working artist’s digs.
But 30 years is also a long time to do anything, and for Folwell, this weekend’s show may be his last.
“This is 30, so it’s a good number to go out on,” he said, adding that the show, which opens with a reception tonight (Friday) and runs through Sunday, will feature about two dozen paintings.
Folwell said while the weekend shows are fun and he enjoys the social aspect, the before and after can be a little tiring, especially for someone who likes to work under “organized chaos.”
If you go
WHAT: 30th annual Paul Folwell Studio Show.
WHEN: Friday-Sunday (July 28-30); opening reception 4-7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday hours: noon-5 p.m.
WHERE: 8199 County Road 203.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.paulfolwell.com.
“After I clean my studio it takes me a month to find everything,” he said.
But just because the shows may be coming to an end, that doesn’t mean Folwell is hanging up his paintbrushes. In fact, during the pandemic, he and his wife, Cheryl, pivoted from the live shows to Facebook live presentations of Paul leading viewers around his studio and discussing individual pieces, which proved successful. So, the videos will continue – and be featured on his website.
And he will continue painting, he said, because he can’t really stop.
And doesn’t want to.
“I’m kind of driven,” he said. “It’s a juice that our brain needs. To me, it’s a form of meditation. I don’t know how you feel about it. Don’t you feel it? You know, when you’re putting something together you’re totally focused on what that is.”
A longtime Durango-area resident who works primarily in oils, Folwell hasn’t always been a full-time artist.
“Painting was my first career of choice, but it’s pretty hard to make a living and raise a family,” he said in a 2017 interview. “As I tell people, I decided to go for the big money – I became a ski patrolman.” And after 17 years at Purgatory Resort, “I got my kids educated, and then I said, ‘Hey, my turn.’’’
While this may be “The Last Picture Show” for now, you can’t predict the future, Folwell said.
“Who knows? I never say never,” he said.
katie@durangoherald.com
