Window screen paintings are disappearing from our fast paced high tech world. The few screens that remain remind us of life in early and mid 20th century Baltimore.

Screen painting was once considered a working-class art, unrecognized as a true art form. In light of the immense joy and warmth, awe and wonderment, that painted screens bring to those who gaze upon them, their artistic significance is underrated.

The magic of painted screens remains in the hearts of many Baltimoreans today.

Acrylic or exterior latex/acrylic/enamel on metal or fiberglass window screen mesh.

Smiles for the neighborhood.
It's about the simple things in life.
Painted privacy screens conceal many hidden treasures behind them.

An experiment in fooling the eye and never having to hang or wash curtains again.

For the love of art!
Seaside scenes take you away.
The Hatteras spring weather and winds cooperated and the large Anderson window screen was beckoning to me, a screen painter's dream. I decided to spend much of my beach vacation painting a large window screen to gift to the Pea Island Gallery in Outer Banks, NC. The window screen commemorates the re-opening of the The Bodie Island Lighthouse for public tours after years of renovations. It just felt right.
As of 2019, before the pandemic closed Hatteras Island to visitors but after several hurricanes and nor'easters, the large window screens at the Pea Island Gallery remained in good condition. 

Anna sees window screen paintings in a new light. She has put a contemporary twist on Baltimore's century-old folk art. 
The artist took advantage of both the transparent and the opaque qualities of the screen canvas. Why not see through and deep inside this magical disappearing folk art? Why not see beyond superfical surfaces of a painted window screen?

The brightness of back lighting will either magically reveal or conceal what's behind the mesh surface.  Solid images of brick and mortar can sharply contrast against an ever-changing airy translucent backdrop of blue skies, sometimes with swirls of Van Gogh-like night stars, sometimes with white puffy clouds, sometimes with a colorful sunset or with delicate patterns of old lace. In waterfront scenes, reflections and translucence of water in Baltimore harbor or the Bay now become real. You can feel the fluidity.

My first see-through framed creation was commissioned for Highlandtown Merchants to present to Mrs Frank Zappa to commemorate the dedication of the Zappa statue on Eastern Avenue. More followed. 

Framed screen art is acrylic or latex/acrylic on fiberglass window screen.

Baltimore window screen paintings of and about town.

When I was a little girl, I remember riding through Baltimore city with my father. He would point out the colorful pictures on the windows of row houses. I would strain my neck and intently search over the car dashboard to view the mesmerizing painted screens, anxious to see what the next sequential window would have painted on it. Those old screens kept people from peeking inside the home and still let the warm summer breeze quench the heat in the hot summertime.  Years later, the impression of those wondrous screens remains but with new functionalities.

Today commercially manufactured printed screen mesh advertisements are applied on vehicle and store windows. We see out from the inside while viewers gaze upon the ad from the outside. There had always been more to those old functional hand painted screens than meets the eye. Today's households are discovering new uses for the veil of  a painted screen.

latex/acrylic on fiberglass or metal wire mesh

A collection of window screen paintings commemorating the 200 block of South Durham St. where Billie Holiday grew up.
Artwork was part of a Community Revitization Project, under the Upper Fell's Point Improvement Association.
Damaged or replaced residential screen paintings are being renewed in 2021 and 2022.

As Baltimore window screen painting was founded in 1913 by William Oktavec. He first painted the screen doors of his corner grocery store. The Painted Screen Society was awarded several grants that enabled screen painters to add new screens to historically relevant areas of Baltimore City in 2013.

It's a true test of time.
Screen painting was introduced to the Outer Banks summer 2010. They withstood Hurricane Irene in this experiment of screen against harsh environment, natural sand-blasting, salt air, blazing sun, flooded roads and parking lots, and high winds. Once again in 2012, Hurricane Sandy has tested the strength of the painting. I have been studying the wear and tear by the elements annually. The screens were holding up very well as  of spring 2018.  
A 7 foot metal screen painting was installed in an art gallery window and a small heavy duty painted pet screen was installed in a restaurant window in Rodanthe, NC. Many thanks go to Master Screen Painter John Oktavec, to the Kim of the Pea Island Art Gallery, and to my good neighbor for helping with this project.

As part of the "100 Screens for 100 Years" community arts grant, eight oversized 8 ft screens were designed by members of The Painted Screen Society, Highlandtown Mainstreet, the Southeast Community Development Corporation, and the building owner and painted in a collaborative effort by two screen painters, John Oktavec and myself. The grant enabled us to add many painted screens to second floor merchant windows along Eastern Ave in Highlandtown for the centennial year of Baltimore's folk art.
http://baltimoreguide.com/http:/baltimoreguide.com/100-screens-for-100-y...