The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Last spring, city council member Karen Gregutt organized the Waitsburg Windows of Art program, which filled empty downtown buildings with works by featured artists. But those aren't the only art-filled windows in town.

Kazmira Grende has been putting her artistic skills to work celebrating holidays and events with paintings on the windows of the Waitsburg Grocery store for years. And Hanna Peterson, who regularly creates event and special sign boards at Whiskey Canyon Sports Bar & Grill, tried her hand at window painting for the first time this winter.

Grende is a Waitsburg native who graduated from WHS in 2011. She said she grew up drawing and became passionate about anime (Japanese animation) as a preteen. Grende said she didn't have much opportunity for art education in Waitsburg, but took three art classes while earning her AA degree at WWCC.

"It was really eye opening. The classes taught me to focus on things I never would have thought were important before," Grende said.

Grende said she's tried many styles of art, but her favorite is drawing, especially with colored pencils.

When she started working at Waitsburg Grocery in 2014, she offered to paint the windows for an upcoming holiday, and has been doing it ever since. She freehands all of her paintings, but says she will look online or ask co-workers and friends for inspiration.

When The Times stopped by, Grende was just beginning a Valentine's Day window painting.

"It's going to be a tree with heart leaves. I'll figure out something to go with it when something inspires me," she said.

Grende said her window paintings typically take two-and-a-half to five hours, but are usually done in bits and pieces as she has time. She said store-owner Dan Cole is her biggest supporter and lets her work when she chooses.

Grende said she enjoys the many comments that she receives about her artwork. She said summer tourists are especially complimentary.

"Window painting is something that I just enjoy doing and do for fun, but I wouldn't mind doing it professionally if I could make it worth my time," she said.

Twenty-four-year-old Hannah Peterson moved to Waitsburg in March, 2015, and began working for Whiskey Canyon Sports Bar & grill in May, just before the restaurant opened. She doesn't consider herself an artist, but says she has always been creative.

"I just do stuff," she said.

Peterson attended Stanwood High School, near Seattle, where she took several AP (advanced placement) art classes.

"I did a little of everything...drawing, painting, sculpting, photography," she said.

In high school she painted the large paper murals that the football players ran through before the games, and she painted and drew signs for school events.

Dena Wood

Hannah Peterson smiles as she colors a Superbowl special chalkboard at Whiskey Canyon Sports Bar & Grill.

That's not a lot different from the events and specials chalkboard signs she's known for freehanding at Whiskey Canyon. The grill started out with just one chalkboard, but now has ten, and Peterson keeps them all filled.

Peterson will search Google for inspiration, but usually pulls several different elements into one sign.

"If I can look at something, I can usually draw it," she said.

Peterson said that covering the Whiskey Canyon windows in a monochromatic winter woodland scene last month was her first attempt at window painting. The snow-covered trees and silhouettes of deer, bear and moose that wrap around the building have garnered a lot of positive comments, she said.

Peterson says that art is strictly an enjoyable hobby and she has no interest in pursuing it on a professional level. However, she does plan to enroll in cosmetology school this fall, which will let her put her artistic skills to work on a daily basis.