BY SUZY STUMP for WEEKLY VOLCANO 9/12/25 |
When the Weekly Volcano announced its inaugural Newspaper Box Challenge, inviting local artists to transform old steel newspaper boxes into public canvases, Tacoma’s creative community turned out in force. Some artists approached the project with bold abstraction, others with photo-realistic detail. And then there was Grace Witherell—whose box stood out for its vibrant colors, cartoon charm, and the kind of whimsy that made passersby smile. (See more photos of it on the cover of this newspaper). Her entry earned her second place, but more importantly, it cemented her presence in Tacoma’s art scene.
“I love to paint,” Witherell explained, “and I was excited at the opportunity the Newspaper Box Challenge afforded me since most of my artistic practice day-to-day is me drawing on a computer. There is something so fun and tactile about painting traditionally that you don’t get from drawing on a digital tablet!”
For Witherell, whose career has largely revolved around digital illustration, the contest was an invitation to reconnect with paint-stained hands, drying times, and the satisfying drag of a brush across metal. She started by scrubbing down her assigned box (the boxes were quite dirty because they had been left to the elements for years then dropped into a storage unit), prepping its battered surfaces for new life. A gradient spray-painted background came next, which required two full days of drying. From there, she mapped out the box’s dimensions, made a digital sketch on her iPad, and then used a projector to cast her designs onto the surface. “I traced the outlines of my sketch onto the box,” she said, “then went over them several times with black and white paint to refine it. Paint pens also helped me a lot with the details!”
For the iconic volcano logo on the front, she employed her Cricut machine to create a custom decal. She carefully applied, painted around, and peeled it back to reveal crisp lines. The whole project spanned about 25 hours over a one-week period of time. It’s a process that marries her digital savvy with her love of traditional craft, and it shows in the finished piece: clean lines, bold colors, and an approachable style.
Spend more than five minutes with Witherell’s work and you’ll notice something important: it’s playful, even adorable—but never saccharine. Her influences range from Sanrio’s Hello Kitty to the lush storytelling of Studio Ghibli films. Both styles, she points out, demand an ability to “pare down a design to its bare bones while still making characters that are eye-catching.”
“I love the whimsy of cartoon art and bright colors,” she explained. “But I also want to convey more adult themes. I want adults to be able to enjoy ‘art for kids’ that is elevated for their sensibilities. Retaining the charm and cuteness of cartoons.” She believes that cute art is often dismissed as “childish,” when in reality, it can bridge generations. “Being in touch with your inner child is crucial as an adult,” she added.
One of Witherell’s most popular art prints is a pen-and-ink drawing of a cat dressed as Hamlet—aptly titled Catlet. Its origins trace back to her time as a young thespian attending Shakespeare theater camp in the summers. “Shakespeare mentions cats in his plays often,” she explained, “and cats have a particularly dramatic countenance that is a hallmark of Shakespeare’s character writing.” The print is a perfect encapsulation of her voice: accessible, humorous, literary, and rooted in the kind of storytelling that rewards those who look twice.
As an artist she is probably best known locally for her stickers, stationery, and prints (sold through her Etsy shop), but Witherell has also dabbled in video game development. Last year she co-created Ruff City, a pixel-art in the tradition of River City Ransom. “It started off as a passion project so we could both put on our résumé that we had shipped a game,” she said of the collaboration with her friend Jason Marrero, who handled the coding. They released it on Steam, selling more than 200 copies. Check it out here.
Her next big endeavor is her first long-form comic / graphic novel, a story set in Virginia City during the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. The narrative, she says, will wrestle with grief, resilience, and the complicated process of opening yourself back up to love—while still including her signature touch: cats. “I’ve always wanted to write and draw my own stories and was waiting for an exciting idea that really resonated with me,” she said. “This one does.”
It’s an ambitious project, but for an artist already balancing sticker design, digital illustration, painting contests, and even game development, it feels like a natural evolution. The Newspaper Box Challenge may have awarded Grace Witherell second place, but for those following Tacoma’s creative scene, her trajectory looks like anything but second-best.
Her Etsy storefront is here: etsy.com/shop/GraceWitherell.
