omg noooooo! do not paint ,the minerals will interact with all paints and cause a meltdown , and yes wkc bears are very attracted to red kettles ,best to just send it to my house where it could be safely handled
.ha just kidding ! they do cook a little slow due to oxygen deprivation ,(needs a vent on the bottom) however I'm sure there are plenty of members on this site who will happily trade you for any black kettles they might have .