Morgan Hill artist Susan Graeser started out painting store windows with Christmas designs. As she became more popular, she began to paint designs for a variety of holidays, including Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July and Halloween.
“I helped many a new store get their business started,” Graeser said, adding that her window painting let people know what was going on in town.
By the 1980s, she was receiving calls from San Jose to Monterey. In the ’90s, developers who wanted their model homes “jazzed up” with faux painting and murals began calling her.
Then Walls by Susan was born. Because of her stellar reputation, clients didn’t mind waiting three to four months for her service.
When Gilroy Gardens opened in 2001, Graeser became a docent. She still is, but now she is also an employee: the window painter, designer of Scary Boo Hay Maze and the Pinnacles Scary Rock Maze and the Santa Stage.
Graeser’s recent passion at Gilroy Gardens is the Art in the Park project, getting local artists to visit the park to paint and have their work displayed in the Red Barn Gallery. The Art in the Park group also sponsors Children’s Summer Art workshops.
“I have always loved the mountains. … it is like going home for me,” she said. “I’m most comfortable there. I love the country life also, so I like to paint that too.”
For more information, email Susan Graeser at
ha*****************@gm***.com
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