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Artists
Crystal Tomer, Caitlin Jalette and Destanie Tomer, left to right, pause during their window painting project at the Putnam Public Library's Children's room. Linda Lemmon photo.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM --- The until-now anonymous artists may have been painting icy cold snow scenes on the windows, but their work warmed the hearts of audiences inside and outside of the library.
Three Michangeloes, Crystal Tomer, Caitlin Jalette and Destanie Tomer, used the windows of the Children's Library at the Putnam Public Library as their Sistine Chapel, creating a winter wonderland that warmed the hearts of those inside --- and out.
The art project was the brainchild of Teen Librarian Jen Lamoureux when she was running a Teen Reading Week. Participants did up art to illustrate their favorite book. "We had art all over," said Lamoureux. That got her to thinking that maybe murals would bring a fresh look to the Children's Library.
Children's Librarian Tina Aubin thought it was a great idea and the "window murals" were born.
The library talked with Deborah Dunn, art teacher at Putnam High School and Dunn mentioned the idea in class. Destanie said she thought it would "be fun" and she talked to the others who also thought it would be fun.
Librarian Priscilla Colwell said "The girls gave up a good portion of their holiday vacation to work on the windows.
Destanie and her two cohorts in art all said they've had lots of fun creating the "Winter Fun" window murals.
It took more than two weeks to do the murals. The first paint they used, acrylic paint, flaked off quickly --- a victim of the very cold temperatures on the outside of the glass. Once the group switched to tempera paint, said Lamoureux, they were off and running.
Destanie said, "I think it's neat because a lot of people see it."
She added incorporating the kids into the art is a definite possibility. "We could get them to put their hand prints into the art or maybe do snowflakes," she said.