Even if they haven’t stepped foot inside the library, visitors to Bonnie Brae Elementary School have probably been positively impacted by the talents of Librarian Lora Lewis. 

From the entrance of the school to the windows on the main office, the doors that lead to “Scottland Yard,” and the library doors, Lora’s talents are showcased on them all. 

Lora started experimenting with painting on glass with acrylic paints because she wanted a large “Library” sign above the room’s entrances. 

“That project turned out nicely and gave me the confidence to try more creative designs,” she said. 

Lora paints her window art with a mix of freehand drawing and working from printed templates. For freehand drawings, she’ll sketch the design with dry-erase markers first. She prefers using brushes for the colors and paint pens for outlines and lines.  

“My favorite step is adding a white border to the final design — it really makes the artwork POP!” Lora said. “Many students thought they were decals until they witnessed me removing the paint with glass cleaner and a paint scraper.”

At the beginning of the school year, more than half a dozen beloved book characters welcomed students to the Bonnie Brae Library. In October, a trio of seasonal gnomes helped advertise the upcoming book fair (above), and a Scottie dog (the school’s mascot) welcomed visitors from the front door sitting among pumpkins, fruit, and colorful leaves. 

This year, Principal Morgan Birge asked her to paint a directional sign for Scottland Yard (third through sixth grade trailers while part of the school is being renovated) (photo at right). 

“Students, staff, and parents alike have shared how much they love Mrs. Lewis’ paintings,” said Birge. “The paintings are bright, fun, and bring smiles to the faces of our Bonnie Brae community. We appreciate Ms. Lewis and her artistic talents!”

In addition to painting book characters and signs, Lora has also started taking inspiration from colleagues. 

“The winter scene in the front office was inspired by one of our kindergarten instructional assistants who adores winter forest animals,” she said (pictured below). This spring, she is planning to have students vote to choose a design. 

The connection between art and books is obvious to Lora. “In the library, we learn about how illustrations impact a narrative — setting the scene, conveying mood, and providing details,” she said. “We practice ‘reading’ books by describing the pictures before moving on to reading the text. 

Her favorite picture books to read to young students are Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems and 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle. 

Lora has no background in art. She refers to herself as a “serial hobbyist.” Among her other skills are crocheting, playing the piano and ukulele, and solving a Rubik’s Cube.