FITCHBURG — The vibrant holiday and winter-themed window paintings popping up all over the Twin Cities are courtesy of a local artist who is spreading cheer through her talents.
What began as a way to decorate the windows of her own business has turned into an in-demand service that city resident and Art on the Rocks owner Stacey Sparrow was not expecting but is thrilled about.
“It’s a fun way to draw attention to our store and engage the community,” she said of adorning the windows of her Leominster business the last couple years. “I posted on social media that I was willing to do it for others and people have been booking left and right for their businesses and even schools.”
So far, she has spruced up the windows of the Fitchburg Legislative Building with a festive gingerbread house inside a snow globe, a drumming nutcracker at The Pauper’s Pantry restaurant and snowmen working out featured at Studio Q Fitness, both in Fitchburg, along with the Leominster Veterans Center and a dozen or so other places including a house and a local salon.
“Especially during the holiday season it’s fun to see people using it as a backdrop for selfies or family photos,” Sparrow said of what brings her joy from doing it. “It’s nice to just see people smiling.”
She is already on the books for upcoming holidays, including Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July, and people can reach out to her on Facebook if they are interested in hiring her. When asked what she enjoys most about these special projects that give her another creative outlet, Sparrow summed it up in one word – “Everything!”
“It’s fun to chat with people because most stop and say hi,” she said. “It’s also a fun way to spread a little holiday cheer and bring back something old school. No fancy lights, nothing digital, just my paintbrush.”
She shared that she has gotten a lot of positive feedback from community members, which she really appreciates.
“It’s really a nice way to talk to people and I think it’s important to look at art,” Sparrow said. “By doing this in public places lots of people that aren’t maybe visiting museums or galleries are still getting exposed to art and it’s exciting.”
The large half-moon shaped window at the Fitchburg Legislative Building took her about four hours to paint, a pretty impressive feat considering the size and detail.
“I’m pretty fast as far as painting goes, maybe because I’m old and cold so I don’t want to be outside for a long time,” Sparrow quipped. “I hand draw the designs onto the window with a glass friendly marker, prep everything with a white primer base coat, and start on one side and work my way to the other. Usually by the time the starting side is done [drying] I’m able to head back that way and start layering on my colors.”
She said when she asks a client what they are interested in as far as a style or theme, “nine times out of ten” they give her the freedom to do what she wants.
“A lot of times I’ll get something like just winter or make it Christmassy,” Sparrow said. “I often ask a few follow-up questions, whether they like pastels or bold colors, and once I find out a little more, I jump in. I know it sounds crazy to most people, but I am not a planner in this regard. I like to just kind of see what fits well in the space and go for it. As soon as I saw the legislative building I was like I need to make that a giant snow globe with a gingerbread house inside. I couldn’t think of anything I would have rather painted there.”
As for her own business, Sparrow said they recently opened a new member space at her 875 Merriam Ave. spot – “think of it kind of like a gym for clay potters and painters” – and is doing another introductory glass blowing class (artontherocksma.com/event/glass-blown-ornaments-or-aqua-tubes-read-all-class-details-292618) in the studio on Dec. 16.
Besides staying busy at Art on the Rocks with all kinds of offerings for kids and adults, Sparrow is enjoying window decorating and said the response from those who have seen her artwork all around the area has “been nothing but pleasantries.”
“It’s relaxing for me, others are smiling, and even for a few seconds when I’m interacting with someone it’s just nothing but positive vibes.”
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