Katie Tew loves that her passion for art can brighten her community, and every opportunity to paint windows brings the chance for creativity and connection.
Tew is a lifelong artist who doesn’t miss an opportunity to paint the town with her creations, all while working a full-time job as the Sampson Community College Human Services Technology Department chair and instructor, and being a mom to three. She explained that as a kid she was always looking for ways to be creative, remembering she would even color the mortar between the brick on her family’s fireplace.
“If I was still, I was drawing on something” says Tew about her childhood self. Her grandpa was an artist and she gained a lot of inspiration and love for art from him, she said.
The artist said the first time she thought “I might be good at this” was in Michael Ray’s art class at Clinton High School.
Four years ago was the first time Tew had the opportunity to paint windows. She works full time at SCC and tried her hand at painting the windows of the downtown annex for the holiday decorating competition.
Tew said the reaction to her window art was overwhelming and unexpected, with Thrifty Kids being the first chance she had to paint a business’ windows, leading to a “chain reaction,” of window painting.
The artist expressed how special it is to her to get to paint these windows around town because they are all places she frequents and how that makes the opportunity personal. “We support each other,” stressed Tew.
When it comes to painting windows, her favorite part is the kids reaction, the excitement at seeing her creations, and even the reaction they have when she is cleaning windows for a new painting. “You’re not taking that down are you?,” she said kids have asked her. “I assure them that even though I am taking it down, I’m going to put something better in its place.”
Not only do kids in the community love her paintings, but her own children do as well.
“Mommy those pancakes look good,” said Tew’s 3-year old daughter, Georgia, when they came to eat breakfast at Lydia’s Grill and she saw her mom’s painted pancakes on the window. Tew explained how special it is to her to paint windows of places she goes and takes her kids. “My kids look at the windows and are so proud.”
People in the community love the windows, too, shared Tew.”They say it makes things look so much more alive and welcoming,” and “I love making the community feel that way,” she emphasized.
Tew paints windows anywhere from no hours to 20 hours a week, with holidays being a lot busier. Most indivdual projects Tew tries to keep under four hours. She paints with makeup brushes because, she said, she has found they work best on windows.
“I go through a lot of brushes,” Tew attested. The weather influences painting a lot, she states. If it’s too hot, the paint dries too fast. What people clean their windows with also plays a role, with certain cleaners making the paint “foamy.”
Tew never thought she would be painting the windows of her hometown, and she emphasized how easy and natural it is to look at other people’s talent and downplay your own. “I haven’t always had confidence in my abilities but having my family and community’s support made all the difference.” Tew reflected on how her family will say “if there’s something that can be made they say Katie can do it,” and how much that has helped her believe in her own talents.
The artist doesn’t see herself ever doing art full time because of how much she loves helping students build the same confidence her art has helped her build. Tew loves that she gets to say “look at you now” to her students, many of whom have overcome many challenges. She says there is nothing like seeing students succeed and turn to their peers and say “I did this and you can do it too.”
Look for Tew’s window painting at Gracie’s Grill for the Low Country Boil downtown.