Three Riverside City College students are turning their high school art skills into a window painting venture, bringing hand-painted holiday scenes to homes across the city.
Ariel, Jewell and Felicity—all Poly High graduates—launched Raincross Window Painting three years ago after their former teacher, Kim Marlowe and her husband Ted Beckwith, asked if they could paint their windows during Thanksgiving break. What started as a Charlie Brown tribute has evolved into an annual tradition and a small business.
The trio joins other Poly alumni turning creative skills into professional pursuits, including alt-R&B artist Brandon, who spent his senior year honing his craft in a music production classroom before releasing an album on respected indie label Secretly Canadian, and Bobby Kim, who co-founded streetwear brand The Hundreds and now serves as Disney's Vice President of Creative for the Americas.
"Her teacher, Mrs. Marlowe, asked if anyone in class could draw," Jewell said. "After class, Ariel told her the three of us knew how to paint, and Mrs. Marlowe invited us to paint a Charlie Brown theme during Thanksgiving break. Ever since then, she reaches out each year with a new theme."
Marlowe Beckwith, now retired from Poly High, recognized the students' artistic talent and invited them to paint her windows. "I found them to be extremely talented and came up with the idea three years ago of having our windows painted," she said.
This year's project features a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer design across Marlowe Beckwith's mid-century home windows. The front window shows Santa with Rudolph, while another panel depicts the Yeti placing a star on the tree surrounded by Misfit Toys. Above, Santa flies across the sky, creating a connected narrative across the glass.
"Our favorite piece is the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer design we just finished," Jewell said. "All the panels connect into one nostalgic story where all the characters are together."
The trio's process begins with understanding the client's vision. They sketch a storyboard showing how characters and scenes will flow across window panels, adjusting colors and design elements to match specific requests.
"We sketch a small storyboard of the characters and scenes so each window panel connects and tells a story," Jewell said. "We send a rough sketch, get their notes, adjust it, and then start painting."
Raincross Window Painting's holiday designs transform neighborhood windows into nostalgic winter scenes. The trio has completed Charlie Brown, Grinch and Rudolph themes over three years at Kim Marlowe Beckwith's mid-century home. (Courtesy of Raincross Window Painting)
Their artistic foundation came from AP Art class at Poly High with teacher Mr. Garrett during their senior year.
"Being in the same room every day pushed us to experiment, paint more, and grow our skills," Jewell said. "Mr. Garrett always encouraged us to think creatively, which still shows in how we design our windows."
Most window paintings take about two days to complete, and they provide quotes based on window size and detail level.
"Since we are all full-time students with part-time jobs, scheduling can vary, but we communicate clearly and bring all our own supplies," Jewell said.
Beyond holiday themes, the group hopes to offer year-round opportunities—birthday celebrations, graduations, seasonal business displays, and designs incorporating local Riverside elements.
"For businesses, that could be seasonal themes, local Riverside elements, or something fun that fits their brand," Jewell said.
Neighbors of all ages stop to watch the work in progress at Marlowe Beckwith's home. "the street is always active with kids, teens, families, older neighbors, and people walking their dogs," Jewell said. "They often stop to talk, check on our progress, and tell us they look forward to the new piece every year. Watching people interact with the work at every stage makes it feel like the whole neighborhood is part of it."
Interested residents can reach the trio through Instagram at @raincrosswindowpainting to discuss custom designs and scheduling.
