The Waterville Downtown Association enlisted the help of professional artist Lynne McCowin of Ellensburg to paint a barn quilt on the side of the Knemeyers Eatery & Spirits building last week.
The building was erected in 1914 and has been a part of the Waterville downtown as a gathering place ever since.
McCowin met Lisa Davies, from the Waterville Downtown Association, in May at the Revitalize Washington Conference and she was asked to come to Waterville.
McCowin has been painting for 45 years and has received honors for her work such as the John Ford Clymer Award from the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame during the 2017 Auction for the Hides of Fame Show. She does sign work throughout the state which she refers to as “historical painting” to revitalize towns.
“Had a great day in Waterville working for their barn quilt group,” McCowin said Oct. 17 on her Facebook page. “Many thanks to Lisa Davies, Monica Miller, Diane Peterson, Candy Jones, Dolores Gonzales, Carol Hansen and many more!”
In spite of the 40-mile-per-hour winds and occasional raindrops, McCowin was able to paint while on the scaffolding and complete the freehand work in only two days. She will return next summer to paint the historical Knemeyers sign on the other half of the side of the building.
From the Empire Press