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Upon a window clear Medford artist paints plain panes in holiday motif By Meg Landers Intricate white snowflakes. Jolly old Santas. Snowy sleigh-and-reindeer scenes. Holiday shoppers see windows of local businesses decorated with seasonal adornment. Cathy Gallatin, Medford artist, is one of the Rogue Valley�s busy window painters responsible for some of these festive scenes. "I�ve been doing windows off and on for about 10 years," she says. "This is my first season full time." In spite of often having her fingers and nose red with cold, Gallatin says she loves her job. "I like being outside. I like being my own boss," she explains. Equipped with ladders, paints, brushes, fingerless gloves, halogen lights, and a portable heater, she sees her work as being important. "It IS spreading Christmas cheer." "I�ve had a lot of really positive comments about the windows," says Gene Copley, owner of Quizno�s. Gallatin has painted the windows for all three of his Rogue Valley restaurants. According to Copley, investing a few hundred dollars for the decorations is worthwhile. It�s important, he says, to dress up the restaurant and bring out the flavor of the season. "It�s just like any marketing," he says. Linda Thompson, owner of Burger Junction on Jacksonville Highway, boasts Gallatin�s rendition of Santa eating a burger. "I do it to make my building look more attractive," she says, admitting that the service is expensive. "You have to put money in lots of places and one of them is eye appeal." Gallatin estimates she has 150 jobs this holiday season. "There�s been days where I put in 13 hours, doing three businesses in a day," she says. When not swirling red ribbons or striping candy canes, Gallatin is attending Bilmes Art School in Medford. Her goal is to do illustrations full-time, from books and album covers to designs for marketing products. Until then, it�s year-round window painting for local individuals and businesses. Gallatin says the window painting developed when she was waitressing. Her employers knew she was an artist and asked her to paint window decorations for the restaurant. Window painting became part of her life after that. In addition to the traditional holiday candy canes, bows, and holly, Gallatin�s been painting the Grinch and Winnie the Pooh snow scenes. "I�ll do custom windows as well," she explains. There are things to factor in, according to Gallatin. Cleaning up paint spills, positioning herself so she doesn�t get hit by an opening door, and allowing a little extra time for questions by passers-by. "I get people asking me will I paint checkerboards on their ceiling," she laughs. Gallatin says the thing she likes most about her job is that it cheers people up. Clients and patrons seem to appreciate her work, she says. She likes to think it helps them celebrate the season. "Keep celebrating. Don�t ever stop," she says. "Because life is a celebration." Cathy Gallatin may be reached at 732-1556. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.