Artists of Note
AUGUST 2019 • WWW.SOUTHWESTART.COM 91Kelli Folsom
A clear vision
Folsom is represented by Howell Gallery, Oklahoma
City, OK, and Reinert Fine Art, Charleston, SC.
ROW 1: Pomegranate and Fall Leaves, oil, 11 x
- ROW 2: I See Your Face in Every Flower, oil,
24 x 12. French Jar and Nectarines (detail),
oil, 11 x 14. ROW 3: French Bowl and Lemons
(detail), oil, 12 x 24.
WITH THEIR CLASSIC, old-master
beauty and drama, Kelli Folsom’s still-
life paintings have received a great deal
of national recognition since she gradu-
ated from Lyme Academy College of Fine
Arts about a decade ago. Although still
lifes have formed the core of her work
since her days as a fi ne-art student, says
Folsom, she also portrays landscapes en
plein air. “I love the experience of paint-
ing from life—that started in art school.
My intense joy and pleasure comes from
that in-the-moment interaction.”
Early on in her studies, the artist
also zeroed in on the dramatic light-
and-shadow effects captured by artists
ranging from Caravaggio to Rembrandt.
Naturally, in her own work, light and
shadow play a leading role, as does the
oil paint itself. “I was never attracted to
hyperrealistic paintings,” says Folsom,
whose works are completed alla prima in
just one or two sittings. “I want to see
the oil paint be a little freer. I feel like
the paint is communicating what the art-
ist is thinking.”
Since moving from Oklahoma to Den-
ver, CO, in 2017, Folsom has been help-
ing others find their own artistic voic-
es. She designed an online mentoring
program just for this purpose, and she
also teaches workshops and video les-
sons. “It’s really a matter of fi nding what
energizes you and brings you the most
pleasure,” says the artist. “If you have a
vision, if you have an identity, you can
always be working forward and improv-
ing upon technique.” —Kim Agricola