Doodling for Santa

When Beth Ham needed to find a volunteer artist for a Christmas project, she went straight to her husband, Jim.

"I doodle," said Jim Ham, 56.

He did more than that Sunday, adding a cheerful holiday scene from the classic television special "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to a display window at 101 N. Main St.

The former Cape Wiggery Shop is being transformed into Santa's headquarters for Friday's Downtown Christmas Open House, an event intended to draw shoppers to the downtown area.

The Bank of Missouri is sponsoring a meet-and-greet with Santa for children who attend.

Moe Sandfort, community bank president of the Bank of Missouri, said the first-time event is just one of many community projects his company does around Cape Girardeau.

"We're going to decorate it inside and will serve some juice boxes and cookies and have children enjoy the kickoff of the season," he said.

One photo of each child with Santa will be taken. Parents can pick up the picture at any of the Bank of Missouri's five area locations, according to Beth Ham, an administrative assistant at the bank's William Street branch.

Sandfort said John and Jerrianne Wyman, who own the building at 101 N. Main St., donated the use of it for the season.

Jim Ham said he was happy to volunteer to paint the window, even though he works for a the bank's competitor, U.S. Bank.

"Aw, it's for Santa Claus, and the downtown merchants," he said, dabbing bright red paint into the outline for a Christmas bulb. Rain dripped off the awning above him.

He started on the project Saturday night, drawing a simple outline of Charlie Brown gazing at the hapless Christmas tree. In the background, Snoopy is lying on the roof of his well-decorated doghouse.

On Sunday morning, Ham taped the drawing to the inside of the shop window and traced the image onto the glass "so I don't have to stand out here freezing," he said.

He wore loafers, jeans, a green parka, a blue baseball cap and a gray work glove on his left hand. His left hand propped his right wrist over the window. On the ledge below, a series of white disposable cups were filled with bright shades of water colors: red, green, blue, black and white paint. Some dabs of green and white paint found their way to his face.

Nearby on the sidewalk was an aluminum bucket, half-full of milky colored water Ham used to rinse his paintbrush. By by 1:45 p.m., he was shivering a little, but determined to finish by 2 p.m. He'd taken one break while painting, sitting in his car to warm up.

He clearly enjoyed the work,

"It was my wife's idea, and I said, 'I can do this. It's not too complicated,'" he said, painting the tiny green lines -- sparse pine needles --along the tree outline.

"We had wanted someone to do something with the window," Beth Ham said. "I sort of volunteered him."

The couple talked about the best idea for a picture, settling on the Charlie Brown scene. He drew the outline freehand in less than 45 minutes on Saturday night.

Did the Bank of Missouri buy his paint?

"No," he said, laughing a little. "But they're going to."

Beth Ham drove by to check out the work after he'd left the street.

"It's cute," she said later. "I think he did a good job."

The most complicated part of organizing the free Santa service, Sandfort said, was scheduling the big guy's appearance.

"It was quite an ordeal to coordinate," Sandfort said. "He's got another engagement that same day, but I think people will still find their way there."

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127