Today’s Technology + Yesterday’s Technique

For more than 30 years, R. Gleason has blended technology and technique to achieve finishes few can match but all can feel. I’d like to think my ancestors would be proud.

For generations, they honed and imparted skills in the old world craft of fine finishing.

After founding Atna Painting & Decorating, my Grandpa George shellacked the stage floors between Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair in 1930s Hollywood. My father purchased Minor’s Paint Store in Seattle’s University District, purveying enamels, stains, and supplies to the area’s most skilled painters. His customers’ willingness to give a wayward son a chance opened my eyes to a world of color, technique, decor, and craft.

Apprenticeships with Denholme-Mohr and Payette Industries exposed me to expertise developed across eras and oceans. Craftsmen from Germany, Norway, and Wales taught me their secrets – like how a bright ground color and three glazes could simulate oak, how custom-colored putty could be concocted on the spot, and how a sprinkle of baby powder could alter the sheen of paint.

Launching R. Gleason was my attempt to steward those opportunities. More than 50 years later, my teachers’ wisdom holds. The finishes our clients enjoy today have generations of diligence to thank. It is their talent, their sacrifice, and their generosity I seek to honor everyday.

I am a grateful steward.

Bob McGowan

Owner, R. Gleason