BEVERLY — Sandy Washington paid for her daughters' braces with her paintbrush.
Washington was in the orthodontist's office with her daughters — Sam, 14, and Bella, 11 — when the doctor asked if the an art teacher at Christ the King School in North Beverly would be interested in dressing up his storefront windows with some seasonal designs.
"My only concern was what paint to use," said Washington, a North Beverly resident.
That was about four years ago, and Washington has since built a steady business using residential and commercial windows as her canvas. Her work is perhaps most often spotted along Western Avenue at Home Run Inn and Leona's Pizzeria, both in Morgan Park.
It costs anywhere from $150-$300 for Washington's services. Most of her customers receive fresh paint about four times per year, though Washington's designs have stood for more than a year on some windows.
Washington uses acrylic paint, which holds up well to various types of weather. For clients who request it, she removes her paintings by soaking them with ammonia. The paint then peels off neatly with the help of a razor blade.
"I think it's fun when my students drive by and honk or yell out the window while I'm painting," said Washington, who moved into the home her husband, Eric, was raised in some 15 years ago.
Washington, a native of southwest suburban Palos Park, also has several suburban accounts including Gelsosomo's Pizzeria in Lemont and some residential clients who rely on her to dress up their homes for the holidays.
A recent favorite is a suburban homeowner who asked her to paint scenes from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." This request came after she had previously decorated the home's windows with scenes from "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
Christmas is Washington's busiest season. She teaches art Tuesdays-Thursdays at Christ the King and usually fits in her window painting and other for-hire artwork on Mondays and Fridays.
"I think my style of art is recognizable," she said.
Besides windows, Washington has also been known to paint wine glasses for festive occasions, paint cartoonish family portraits on plates or platters, spell out people's names using architectural photographs and more.
Most of her work comes from word-of-mouth recommendations as well as from her own Facebook page and others in the neighborhood. Some clients have very specific ideas about what should be on their windows.
Others simply instruct Washington to let her imagination run wild. In these instances, Washington typically paints individual windows panels with an overall seasonal theme.
"I like to think of my artwork as a whimsical collage rather than a scene," she said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
