Paul Van Ginkel was just a young teen when he attended his first Calgary Stampede where he was taken with the horses, cowboys and the western way of life. And it’s been that connection with the West that has shaped his life as one of Calgary’s leading artists. Paul now owns Van Ginkel Art Galley on Ninth Avenue Southeast in Inglewood. For years, the artist has been producing western-themed paintings, focusing on horses and cowboys, but also First Nations, dance and floral images.
“I was 13, saw my first Calgary Stampede, so I was hooked on cowboys and Indians,” says Paul. “I sketched cowboys and Indians all the time. So when it was time to choose my subject, it was natural for me to choose western themes. I remain compelled by the history of the West, First Nations history, the way in which they operate themselves, the regalia and so on and the whole mystique of cowboy life. I’m not a cowboy, but I embrace that culture, I recognize and honour that culture. One doesn’t need to be a cowboy to create cowboy art.”
