Painting Old Windows Back to Life

Painted on the glass of a purple, arched, vintage window frame, a Buddha face meditates in paisley blues, purples and greens. The window frame hangs from a brick wall inside the Gilroy Arts Alliance Interim Center for the Arts and is one of a 30-or-so-piece set that makes up the venue’s April 1 to May 15 exhibition called, “Finestra Rustica!”

The exhibition features the signature work of local artist Whitney Pintello, who said she is inspired by the natural aesthetics of the region. Her favorite shades to work with fluctuate, but right now she is fond of gold and orange tones. These tones are prominent in the swirls and curves of fruits and branches in her displayed work.

Acrylic vintage window paintings line the walls of the Gilroy Arts Alliance space, bringing warm shades and rustic designs that reflect a Mediterranean feeling reminiscent of Tuscany, Italy. However, anyone from Gilroy knows this Mediterranean touch is also a reflection of the local area, full of rolling hills and wine country.

“Because we live in this area, I do a lot of wine and gourmet themes,” she says. “I like to do a lot of natural-feeling paintings.”

Pintello, who has worked on mural projects in the past, including the one featured in the local Westside Grill, is self-taught. She read an article several years ago about how to reuse old architectural elements, such as turning vintage items into art pieces. Part of the article mentioned vintage window painting, and she and a friend decided to learn the style.

“If you study, there are ancient Chinese paintings that are done on glass, so it’s not a new art form all together, but, of course, it’s different,” says Pintello. “Some people like to put the paintings in front of a window to let light come through, which is totally up to them. They do hold that really bright color even on the walls.”      

Pintello uses an unexpected technique to create her window paintings. She paints in reverse on the back of glass, etching the smallest details first, then layering in and blending background colors. She does not look at the front of the window until she is finished with a piece.

Pintello used to shop at antique stores to find her window canvasses, each of which comes in a unique shape—from double-hung to cut-up frames. Eventually, she discovered contractors were glad to give her discarded window frames for free, because normally they pay a discharge fee.

When Pintello is not painting in her at-home studio, she directs plays at her family’s local theater house, Pintello Comedy Theater. She also works as a wedding officiate.

Now, roughly seven years after she began acrylic window painting, Pintello is known throughout the Gilroy region, and her artwork sells for $150-$800. Twenty percent of the profit for Pintello’s paintings sold at the “Finestra Rustica!” exhibition goes to the Gilroy Arts Alliance.

“Most of my work is in the $300 range, because I want people like me to be able to afford it,” Pintello says. “I’m a stay-at-home mom who wants to be a teacher, so I would hate to only sell to people who aren’t like me. I sell to a lot of couples, and it’s the first piece of art they ever bought—newlyweds or college grads that are buying their first piece of art. I don’t think art has to be a classist thing; it should be available.”

The “Finestra Rustica!” exhibition will run from now through May 15  at the Gilroy Arts Alliance Interim Center for the Arts, at 7341 Monterey St. in downtown Gilroy. A free public reception will take place on Saturday from 4-7 p.m. in the same location.