I love designing a window painting that reflects the business I am decorating. The select elements mixed with tried and true imagery and characters lends a sense of humor and a unique view of the business offerings inside. It is tailor fitted to each individual case and the theme may take a few hours to take its true shape. Once it forms the sketch is drawn out and the colorful sections filled in.
The above scene is one of the dog grooming service offices in my client list. They asked me to take down the summer scene I did and create something fitting for the Fall season and Halloween. I'm sure they'll want to leave this one up as long as possible. I know I do. I enjoyed creating it very much and spent a very emotional few hours finishing it. The individual sections are brimming with delightful imagery. My heart aches when I take them off to change seasons. Art is both a joyful and painful path.
Right to left we have bright pumpkins in a pumpkin patch setting. The leaves and pumpkins are lit up in neon colors. This is a standard theme for Fall decor and one I must pay close attention to when painting. It must be solid enough to brave weather changes and last about two months. The windows here are covered with a roof section so the tempera paint I use won't be rained off, thankfully. They may take a scratch or two or a chip, but they will last and hold color for a very long time.
Panel two is a design that I did not plan. This scene was pure inspiration and one I'd like to preserve on canvas eventually. This is Monster Piece, a trio of dogs dressed as classic Hollywood Monsters. The bulldog stars as The Mummy. Our pink poodle models the wig from The Bride of Frankenstein and the Foxy Dog character is dramatically pulling off the Dracula look. I was delighted with this design image and giggles surrounded me in the creation of my monster piece...
The business entrance door holds a place for the traditional Halloween kitty. Scaredy Cat was backed up by a line of blue so the raging, rising fur could be scene clearly at a distance. Check out the glowing, glaring eyes and sharp fangs in the image below.
Moving on to the next panel, we have a sweet Autumn scene with a sheep dog dressed as a farmer or scare crow and a wild Chihuahua popping up from a Jack O' Lantern. That little dog is the cartoon image of my beloved Tulip. She's a Chihuahua short-haired Terrier mix and a very busy, but sweet little girl. I've included her whenever I get the chance to do pet scenes.
Close ups of the faces are below...
Now you can see why I was a giggling fool with this scenery. I hope it causes others the same cheery emotion.
The next section is a door that is not used and it holds a nice trio of pumpkins.
Funny thing about this door. There are two cats that live in the store and they like to bat at the window while I'm painting. The first time they did that I called the owner. This was during the summer scene and I did not know the critters were in there. I told her I thought something fell over in her store. She told me about the resident felines then. They sure made me jump when they hit the window!!
The pumpkin's scrolling vines and leafy details were added to give form and texture to the image. I'm more of a cartoon artist, but I like to try my best to add contrast and light to my paintings. It's been 40+ years creating these scenes and I still believe I have a lot to learn.
The final panel is a small scene with three additional pets in costume. Left to right we have a Maltese in a pumpkin outfit. (He is a dedication to my dearly departed Simon.) Next is Frankenkitty - an unhappy cat dressed as Frankenstein. Finally, we have Charlie B., a beagle with the ghost sheet like the one that Charlie Brown wears in the endearing Peanuts series. The bag reads Tricks for Treats because we all ask our pets to perform for us before offering a reward.
Enjoy the holiday season and be safe out there when Trick or Treating!!
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Browse the blog here for more stories and artwork or visit the artist's website for more information. There you'll find the artist-author's book The Essential Window Painting Guide. This simple tutorial will help you get started in the wonderful world of window painting.
www.holidaywindowpaint.com
Thank you for visiting!
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