A man's love of art, music and his town

Paul Rodriguez talks about his art work and his love of Rutherfordton.

Paul Rodriguez came to Rutherfordton 33 years ago from Toledo, Ohio and has never looked back.

He fell in love with Rutherfordton quickly and although his three decades of living in the County Seat hasn't all been a bed of roses, it's been a good journey and he wouldn't trade it for life anywhere else. It's been a good life.

Sitting at Kiwanis Park in Rutherfordton recently Paul talked about his love for Rutherfordton coming to the area as an 18 year old teenager.

"I did not know what I wanted to do," he said. He came to the county because his brother Adam Rodriguez was living there. But when his brother passed away in 2015, Paul knew Rutherfordton was his home.

It wasn't long after his arrival that he began his career as an artist, meeting a lifelong friend Paul Withrow who got him into commercial art.

Paul gives credit to Withrow for helping him get into art with commercial work.

"Paul was doing so many things, all in black and white so he asked me to do some work for him," Paul said. They became fast friends and worked together for years.

Today Paul works in several mediums including airbrushing, oil painting, wood carving and "anything the customer wants," he said. An artist can't always do exactly what he wants to do. "We do what is wanted," he said.

His latest work is in the Adventure Playground at Kiwanis Park.

One of the defining features of the new park, said town officials, was to take advantage of the amazing diversity and inventory of mature trees. The Adventure Playground was nestled into a grove of mature poplar trees that allowed for heavy shade in the heat of the day and added to the feel of the treehouse-style play area.

As the spring of 2022 arrived, the mature poplars did not survive and had to be removed to ensure the safety of park visitors. In true Rutherfordton fashion, this problem became an opportunity to think creatively and add to the atmosphere of the park, said Town Manager Doug Barrick.

That's when Rodriguez was asked to carve designs to give new life to the poplar trees and subsequently his sketches were approved and The Town of Rutherfordton commissioned Paul to carve the trees.

Paul's work came to life in June and is now a key feature in the Adventure Playground. The three new carvings include a pair of young bear cubs, a skull of foxes, and a raccoon being watched over by a red-tailed hawk.

"I wanted to carve animals that are native to the area," Paul said.

"The Town allowed me to do that," he said and the rest is history.

Paul said although the wood is not in the best shape because of some splits, "I will maintain this."

Paul will continue to keep these art installations up over the next few years as they mature into the park's landscape.

He spent about one week on each of the carvings.

"Most carvers could do all three in one day," he said.

At his art studio on Central Street in Rutherfordton, there is an array of airbrush work and other mediums.

He spends five days a week in the studio, Monday through Friday, and works some on Sunday. He is in the middle of clearing out and moving things around in the studio and invites those interested to come by to see his work.

Saturday is his day to relax and stay out of the studio. He and wife Crystal, who has a cleaning business, claim Saturday as their day of relaxation. Paul and several friends are doing a Bible study on Saturdays at different homes of the friends.

Paul plays music in his spare time and has joined other Rutherfordton friends in holding music events downtown on Friday evenings. There is one more on tap for this year. He will also have some of his carvings and other work at the Hilltop Festival on October 1.

He has a goal to continue to promote the arts in Rutherfordton, which he calls vibrant, especially on Central Street where his studio is located near the coffee shop.

Paul and his wife Crystal have raised three children-- Sarah, a registered nurse; Nathan, a machinist and Victoria Rose, 18 years old. All the children were homeschooled until their last two years of high school.

Paul couldn't help but share his excitement of Victoria's latest news. As a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, she was recently chosen as the most physically fit Marine in her company.

She was honored by the Town of Rutherfordton upon her graduation from boot camp. An American flag was flown over the Rutherford County Courthouse in her honor and she was given the actual flag by the Town.

He is looking forward to Victoria being home in the near future for 30 days. She'll work with the Marine Recruiter office in Shelby while home.

If Paul isn't sculpting, carving, air brushing, doing oil painting, or talking about this family, he's writing his own original music.

He is self taught in music and art.

"As long as I can hear, I can play," he says.

He also teaches music and a few years ago joined Evan Mann in opening Wild Roots in Forest City.

Of his life in Rutherfordton over the three decades Paul says, "I wouldn't move anywhere else. The grass is "not "greener everywhere else."

"We love it here," he said.