Interior/Exterior Paint Services

At age 16 or 17, I got a job working for a friend’s father, where I grew up in upstate New York, in Putnam County. My friend Bob’s father’s name was Hans Buchholz, who I’m pretty sure was first generation German, as his accent was quite pronounced. We primarily worked in the next county over, towards New York City, Westchester County. We worked on 19th century mansions, in Scarsdale and Bedford Hills. The people who employed us were “old school” and it was understood that they wanted things done in an old world charm kind of way. It was there that I first learned about procedure and technique. I spent several years with Hans, then, went to work for a guy named Jon Spilbor, who was another great. He ran a union shop at one time and had paint timeframes down to a science. Jon would teach and share production methods on new construction as well. 

I moved to California in my twenties, where I would be employed by Matt Donegan Painting. Matt had a lot of very elite clients in the Hollywood Hills. I once painted at Tina Sinatra’s house and also worked on a Frank Lloyd Wright home. Several years later, I met my favorite painter and friend Rolf Wallengren, at a Dunn Edwards paint store in LA. Rolf was an excellent employer and extremely knowledgeable and I learned an incredible amount in our 5 years working together. He was consumed with detail and excellence and left no stone unturned to accomplish the objectives of the job. Funny side note: Rolf wrote the pilot for TV Hit series Bay Watch. He also wrote on several other shows of notoriety.

Here’s the best thing about Rolf’s story: I’m pretty sure Rolf could have continued as a script writer or likely could have written a bestseller. However, he chose to paint because he loved it so much and applied the same prowess and serious work ethic to his painting that he did to his writing. I believe he still paints today, not out of necessity, but out of a respect for those in need of his services. I attribute my own love of painting to the years I spent with Rolf. 

After Los Angeles, I moved to Seattle and was there for close to 30 years. I worked for Queen Anne Painting and held the record for painting a sash window the fastest (this is a test they give for new employment). I also worked for Seattle Paint Specialists run by Dev Pontius. Dev was a very serious business man, and I learned what good work culture looked like in a large company with many employees. The company structure also dictated being very methodical, emphasizing neatness and being systematic. This company did projects for the Gates Foundation and other well known institutions, where non-disclosure waivers were required.

A couple years later, I decided it was time to work for myself. I ran Seattle City Painting for 9 years (specific projects are highlighted above).

I moved to Port Townsend 2 years ago to find a quieter town and worked for a local painting company. Working in Port Townsend gave me the opportunity of painting some famous historical landmarks. 

Starting in 2026, I’ve decided to go back into business for myself here in Port Townsend, a town I now call home, and would love to bring all this experience to your next project. 

Lloyd Simington Creary (Simon)