Artist Kent Paulette stood next to his Grandfather Mountain bear painting.

Paulette's bear painting can be seen at the Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum. 

Artist Kent Paulette stood next to his Grandfather Mountain bear painting.

Paulette's bear painting can be seen at the Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum. 

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN — Local artist Kent Paulette donated a large bear painting to be hung at the Grandfather Mountain nature museum.

This project has been in the works since 2019 when artist Paulette first proposed the idea of making and donating an original painting of a bear for Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. He met with is the Stewardship Foundation’s President and Executive Director Jesse Pope and Vice President Lesley Platek. They discussed the upcoming large expansion of the Nature Museum and possible spots for the painting to hang. This would be the biggest painting Paulette had ever done, 10 feet wide and 7.5 feet tall.

“Grandfather Mountain is such a special place to me. This painting was inspired by my visits to the wildlife habitats and seeing the bears there. I collected water from a waterfall at Grandfather Mountain and mixed the water directly with paint to stain the canvas with my Creek Washes. A bear came to visit my home studio as I was working on this painting outside on my deck. I think it was coming to see the painting because I hadn’t seen a bear there in three years,” said Paulette. “I hiked down to the creek in my backyard early in the morning before I started this painting. I stuck my face in the creek and also collected a few bottles of the creek water to mix in with the paint along with the water from Grandfather Mountain. On my hike, I went to a special tree and in my deepest voice I spoke the words ‘Ancient Sycamooooore’ into its hollow base. Four crows called out and led me to my destination, Corky Wok Rock. White laurel flowers hung over the creek and I was greeted by songbirds. As I entered the passageway through large boulders, I spotted beautiful pink laurel flowers on the other side of the creek. After I was finished collecting water, the crows and a hummingbird led me back home to my studio where I could hear the rushing water from the creek below.”

Paulette painted outside in May during a week of heavy rains. He said the rain helped keep his canvas wet as he painted in “creek washes” and the colors were able to continue to flow together instead of drying between layers. Paulette said it was a “collaboration with the rain and wind.”

Paulette used a large palette knife to paint thick textures and a brush to paint the washed and geometric shapes. He used childhood T-shirts to wipe his tools and to wipe paint from his canvas and used an old Slip’n Slide as a rain tarp. He said his work clothes he inherited from his grandfather, Harold Sewell, as he painted.

Paulette said the painting covered a sliding glass door in his home and each morning he would see the sunrise shining through and canvas. He said the painting is so large “it could be seen from another hilltop half a mile away.”

Paulette is a self-taught artist who uses uninhibited, energetic brush strokes to create paintings that leap off the canvas, alive with color, texture, and movement. Paulette lives in North Carolina where he paints in a studio overlooking the mountains.

For Paulette, each painting is a gamble, a leap into the unknown, a wild ride of exploration and experimentation. He paints to figure things out, not to achieve a specific result. Unexpected or unintended outcomes are welcome; they offer openings through which new possibilities can be glimpsed, imagined, and developed. Kent Paulette works to exploit these opportunities, continually pushing himself and his paintings beyond the boundaries of habit and into the realm of chance.

Paulette’s work can be found at www.kentpaulette.com.

Thanks to modern technologies, you and more people are reading the Watauga Democrat than ever before. Freedom of the press is essential to preserving democracy: But a free press isn't free. It takes significant resources for Mountain Times Publications' 10 full-time journalists to provide credible, fact-based and ethical journalism in the High Country. So, we are asking you to join our advertisers and print subscribers in supporting local journalism with your dollar. The Watauga Democrat does not have a paywall, but your financial support will help sustain these services that you use to inform your decisions and engage with your community. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

Your comment has been submitted.

There was a problem reporting this.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.

A weekday morning newsletter with a list of local news, sports and community headlines.

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

Invalid password or account does not exist

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.

Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

A receipt was sent to your email.