Local artists spruce up businesses for holiday season

Erica Lewis Kennedy

Daily Press Writer

MONTROSE — It’s obvious the Grinch has not stolen Christmas in Montrose for the local artists who have been painting the town red — well, red, green and every color that comes in between.

The artists, busying themselves like elves, are turning the windows of businesses into canvases with festive themes. From snowmen to candy canes and reindeer, all of Santa’s sights are on display.

Chris Cole

Driven by Denny’s lately? Local painter Chris Cole bedecked the family restaurant in a winter wonderland filled with frolicking snowmen. Rather than rely on traditional themes, the artist took a twist, which many onlookers have been admiring.

“I just love snowmen. I paint them every year but this time I wanted to do something different,” Cole said. “I thought it would be ironic to paint snowmen having a snowball fight.”

Her mural includes several snowmen participating in all kinds of winter activities including sledding, caroling, and building ice-block men.

“Last year I used a lot of blues. But this year I am really into more purple hues,” Cole explained. “I never do the same thing twice.”

Cole’s artistic talents are not limited to her windowscapes. She also does custom mural paintings for homes and businesses. This past summer she painted murals in the Cottonwood Elementary library. Typically in the spring she paints backdrops for the Olathe High School prom photos.

“I also painted this large room at the Family Ties building in Olathe,” she said. “It was the large white room and was very cold. I painted the whole thing to look as if you were outdoors.”

Cole, who owns and operates Lady Bug Pest Control, started painting murals to earn extra money during the winter season. She has been painting her whole life and professionally since the age of 15.

Cole and her three children moved to Montrose six years ago.

“I have taken art classes,” she said. “But most of the time I end up teaching them. It just comes naturally for me.”

She gets many of her window theme ideas from holiday cards and admits to this day, she has a hankering for Bob Ross’ landscape painting show and his “happy trees.”

In her spare time, she says she just loves to be outdoors and always has her sketchpad with her. She is also an accomplished hunter.

Some of her other holiday murals are featured at Brown’s Shoe Fit, High Country Books, Western Group Insurance and El Jimador. She spent Friday afternoon completing a mural for S&R Plumbing. Her masterpieces also adorn businesses in Grand Junction and Telluride.

“I just dearly love doing this,” Cole said. She has a portfolio of her work and can be reached at 234-3743.

June Estep

One of Olathe’s newest residents has spent the last few weeks tearing up the paintbrush. June Estep moved to Olathe within the last two months from Norwood and has been busy ever since.

“Olathe is my new permanent home,” Estep said. “I have wanted to move down here for quite some time. People have been really good to me. They have let me paint for them without seeing my work.”

Estep painted the wreath series at Wells Fargo Bank on Main Street. Her other creations include various holiday and winterscapes at Sleep ‘N Aire, Hartman Brothers, Rent Club, Starvin’ Arvin’s, the stores of Oxbow Crossing and Flower Motor Company. She said she also went back to Norwood to paint for the Lone Cone Restaurant, which she has done for years along with the Mountain Market in Ridgway.

Estep’s paintings for businesses are not limited to the Christmas holiday season. She visits some of her commercial customers four times a year to create new window themes.

“Actually, all this holiday painting has served as a great way to get out into the community,” Estep said. “Businesses have been really receptive. I have been out there introducing myself and canvassing for the future.”

Recent low temperatures have not dampened her holiday spirit or her artistic muses.

“I have to laugh, I told myself when I left Norwood that my days of painting in the cold were done,” Estep explained. “It’s been cold in Montrose. I just show up in layers of sweatshirts. Sometimes I might look a little scary with all these clothes and paint splatters, but it’s part of the job.”

Estep also does interior painting.

“I have done a lot of kitchens, bathrooms and children’s rooms,” she said. “I have done a lot of decorative painting in my time.”

Estep has been painting commercially for 15 years. She said she will shut down her holiday painting shortly and enjoy the holidays with the mission of promoting her interior work come January 2007.

“I have been painting since my first apartment. I created these little flowers on the cabinets,” she said. “I am self taught. I love to paint. I wanted to move to a larger area so that I could do this for a living. If you can do what you love for a living, how can it get better than that?”

Estep can be reached at 417-6763.

Angela Drake

Grand Junction artist Angela Drake dipped her brush in Montrose as well this holiday season. The accomplished artist paints all over the Western Slope.

Montrose Memorial Hospital hired Drake to paint both interior windows of the hospital and outbuildings, including the Pediatric Rehab unit that faces Nevada Avenue.

“I try to get as much of the real meaning of Christmas as I can,” Drake said. “I think its important for us to remember the real reason we celebrate — our Savior’s birthday.”

For the Pediatric Rehab building, she painted a vivid scene of children playing in the snow. Her work at the hospital started in mid-November and ranges in themes. She painted snow scenes, a nativity, several garlands and wreaths and angels.

Drake also paints windows for restaurants including Fiesta Guadalajara.

“I took their logo which is a sun and put a Santa hat on it,” Drake explained. “I had a lot of fun painting all their restaurants.”

Her work also appears at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs and in several locations in Grand Junction.

One of her largest pieces to date is a 40-foot mural at the Grand Vista Hotel, also in Grand Junction. The mural depicts a wide range of outdoor activities. For all her painting, Drake says she has no problem coming up with new ideas.

“I have so much going in my head it’s unbelievable,” she said. “When I walk up to a window something comes to me. I try to make everybody’s a little bit different.” Most of her customers let her paint at her own discretion, and she loves every minute of it.

“It’s a God-given talent. Painting brings me absolutely great pleasure and the fact that I can make money doing it brings me even greater joy.”

Drake’s mother was an artist and encouraged her creative endeavors. After high school she worked for an art studio and after that started to freelance. Her commercial talents have graced many a window and wall over the last 37 years.

“What is really great is that I get to express myself in my own way. I have always been considered a little weird. You’re accepted if you’re an artist,” Drake said with a laugh. “If I wasn’t an artist I would be ostracized.”

Drake can be reached at 216-0173.