Kevin Paul carving out new niche in book project

The next chapter in Swinomish carver Kevin Paul’s often cutting-edge career will be written by himself.

And it’s quite a story to tell.

Paul, whose carving has been featured on the Discovery Channel and a wide range of publications, is among those artists invited to contribute to “The Barn Shows: In Their Own Words,” a much-anticipated book project being compiled by Dick and LaVonne Reim of Fir Island.

After being the subject of numerous scripts and articles, Paul now has the opportunity to put on paper those memories of the camaraderie he shared with other leading Northwest artists who headlined the popular exhibits at the Reims’ rural gallery.

As Paul tells it, his participation in the Barn Shows began quite by chance.

It was at a time when his work, reflective of Coast Salish history and culture, was more recognizable than Paul himself, who today serves on the Swinomish Tribal Community Senate.

The late John Simon, a Barn Show regular, made the initial contact.

“I was at the old Shell station one day,” Paul recalls, “when John came up to me asked: ‘Are you Kevin Paul?’ I said I was, and he asked if I would want to be part of an art show on Fir Island.

“He was aware of the work I had done, and he knew my pieces sold very well,” says Paul, whose resume by then included a key role with his uncle Michael Paul on creation of a replica Swinomish totem pole for the Washington state Centennial Celebration.

Paul accepted Simon’s invitation, and kept coming back.

“Every year,” he says, “it was like being part of a family.”

His own family, comprised of singers, drummers and artisans, was instrumental in Paul’s evolution as a critically acclaimed carver.

His dad, Alex Paul, Sr., lent him the pocket knife he used as an eight-year-old to fashion an eagle figurine alongside tutor Mike Cladoosby.

Things didn’t always go smoothly back then, Paul concedes, flashing his trademark smile.

“I cut myself,” he admits, “but I didn’t quit. I liked it. I kept doing it.”

He made it a point to study Swinomish woodworkers whenever possible.

“Walking to school,” he says, “I would stop and see what Elmer Cline was working on.”

As he got older, Paul intently studied the art of tribes from British Columbia and Alaska. Upon their marriage, his wife Pat gifted him with a collection of books on Native American art, a personal library that has proved invaluable.

“I found I was able to replicate those styles while also adding my own signature to the work,” he says. “People do recognize my work.”

The Simon encounter is just one example.

During his recent sit-down with La Conner Weekly News, Paul was approached by sailboat owner Rick Hendrickson, who upon learning the identity of the man being interviewed stepped forward to meet the carver about whom he had heard so much.

“Your work is fantastic,” said Hendrickson, who asked if Paul would be interested in carving a mermaid for his vessel.

Paul is widely recognized for the symbolism he brings to his carvings.

“Each piece has meaning,” he says. “The bear represents strength. The eagle shows guidance. The salmon is about sharing.”

A La Conner High alum who returned to his alma mater to teach carving, Paul has created many favorite local landmarks, including the Spirit Wheel in the courtyard outside Maple Hall.

His fame, of course, has spread far beyond his home town. Paul’s appearance in the late 1990s on Discovery Channel, which aired around the nation and in more than two dozen countries, earned him widespread attention.

A woman in Texas who saw the Discovery coverage asked her husband to drive her to the Swinomish Reservation to meet Paul. The couple indeed made the more than 2,000 mile road trip.

“She wanted to come all the way up here to shake my hand,” says Paul. “I like to stay humble, but people get so excited. They say, ‘you’re Kevin Paul, you’re famous.’”

Paul is the first to stress that his success didn’t happen overnight.

“It took a long while to get there,” he notes. “There was the studying part, the learning part. It’s been work, work, work.”

Paul is grateful, and each day expresses appreciation, for the journey life has allowed him to take.

“I don’t know how or why I was chosen to do this,” he says. “I’m just very thankful to be able to help bring back a lost art.”