Caledonia — During a season of heavy snowfall, plows are out and busy clearing the roads. If you look closely, you might see an original painting by Caledonia High School senior Josie Burns on the blade of your local snowplow.
The plow with Josie’s artwork, named “Snows Buddies Business,” can be found using the Michigan Department of Transportation’s online tracker as far north as the Upper Peninsula.
Earlier this year, Josie entered MDOT’s Paint the Plow contest to design artwork that advocates for safe driving, especially during the winter months.
Her painting depicts a snowman wearing a swimsuit on a beach — complete with sand crabs and a palm tree — with MDOT’s message for drivers, “Go hands-free. Just drive. It’s the law.”
Josie’s art teacher at CHS, Evan Chamberlin, said her design paired with the slogan “reminds us how immensely important it is for us to be fully present while we’re driving, show care for our fellow humans and continually recognize the responsibility we have for one another.”
‘Snow’ Much Surface to Paint
Inspired by her longing for spring break, Josie sketched a tropical scene and submitted to the contest back in March. She didn’t find out that her design was chosen until the end of summer, and began working to bring her idea to life during the first weeks of the school year.
“(The plow blade) was huge, a lot bigger than I expected,” Josie said.
The first step was to use a lot of paint primer to cover the “bright orange” blade, she said. Next, she reimagined her small sketch on a larger surface and marked her guidelines.
“I painted it probably a week after I primed it, which took two weeks. I would come after school and work on it, and during art class,” Josie said. “I kept the snowplow outside, and my science teacher brought me a tent to shade me from the sun in October.”
A few of Josie’s classmates and her younger brother assisted with the project and kept her company while she painted.
Despite using a difficult, unfamiliar type of paint and having to redo parts of the design, Josie said getting paint in her hair was worth it in the end.
“I suffered for the art,” she said while laughing. “Maybe I’ll see (the blade) again; it’s kind of cute.”
A Brrr-illiant Artist
Throughout her four years at CHS, Josie has taken every art class offered, including AP Art two years in a row.
“There is so much I’ve learned (about painting), by myself and in art class,” she said. “I’m such a nerd and read art and color theory books.”
Painting is her favorite medium, and painting portraits of people, specifically celebrities, is her speciality.
“For a really long time, I made comic strips and drew little goofy guys,” she said. “Now I do digital art at home for sillies, but painting is my serious art.”
When she isn’t painting snowplow blades or working in Chamberlain’s classes, Josie writes songs for her band and competes on her school’s bowling team.
Chamberlain said Josie is an exceptional artist to have in class and is “reliable, dedicated and an inspiring role model for others.”
“Josie has a sharp eye for composition and highly developed artistic skills, she excels in a variety of styles,” he said. “Her work on the plow project was a testament to her perseverance. Despite cold mornings and the fact that she was working on it at 7:45 a.m., Josie pushed through, delivering beautiful results with unwavering commitment.”
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