Holiday windows are a family affair

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The painters of family-owned business Holiday Windows finish up a holiday design they painted on the windows of La Fonda restaurant in Mesquite. Pictured l to r are Esther Jones, Connie Mortensen and Cortnie Villezcas. Photo by Bobbie Green

It has been a thirty-one year tradition for Connie Mortensen to paint holiday designs on storefront windows in the Moapa and Virgin Valleys…and beyond.

Mortensen started this tradition by helping an artist friend in Las Vegas to begin painting holiday designs on business windows during Christmas and other holidays throughout the year. One year later she moved to Logandale and started her own business offering the same services in Moapa Valley.

Her first year, Connie went to the local businesses and offered to paint their windows for free. By the second year she had a paying clientele and her business grew from there.

Over the years, Connie’s daughters Esther and Cortnie have joined her in the fun of painting windows for the holidays. Even the grandkids have gotten involved in the fun. Together the family business has painted holiday cheer on windows from Salt Lake City, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Progress caught up with the Mortensen and daughters as they were painting the windows at La Fonda Mexican Restaurant in Mesquite on Friday, Nov. 19.

Clients can pick from a variety of graphics and themes of what they want on the windows of their business. All they have to do is provide a picture of what they want and Mortensen can use her skill to enlarge and draw cartoon-like characters spaced to fit any window.

Mortensen has reached retirement age, but she keeps working at the job that she loves.

“Mom will have to pass the business on to the grandchildren because by the time she retires I will be retired too,” said daughter Cortnie. “We are training the grandkids now.”

One grandson was with them Friday learning the trade. Mortensen said that her grandson has good drawing skills and can draw even better than she can.

But there are challenges in the trade. “It is hard to paint on windows that are hot from the sun” Mortensen said. “The paint goos. Also, we can’t do small detailed paintings because our brushes are too large.”

Their shop is the back of their SUV. The vehicle is fully equipped with stacks of drawers filled with multi-colored paints, brushes.

Holiday Windows can be reached at Holidaywindows@mvdsl.com or call 702-743-4751.