Wildlife Art

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but especially residents of senior living facilities. Greater risk of complications from infection and the dangers of close living quarters meant life was significantly less entertaining than usual at Aspen Grove.

Amid the restrictions, a 10-year tenant of Aspen Grove became a spot of entertainment for other residents as she brought a series of statues to life. The series, called “Wildlife of Yellowstone,” continues to grow as Paulette, at a table near a lobby window, paints tiny details and adds dimensional elements to statues of all kinds of Yellowstone creatures.

Paulette, a member of the Made in Montana Organization, has been painting such statues for over 15 years. Her projects adorn the Aspen Grove lobby, and her artistry has become a center of the community as residents check in on her progress and look forward to seeing what animal will join the line-up which already includes a bear, a bobcat, an eagle, a big-horn ram, and various other local creatures, as well as a gunman resting on a cliff.