To most people, William Westenhaver is the man behind the company Witco, which has created some of the most creative, unique and sought after carvings, art, furniture and home decor items there are! But to Heather Pleasant, William is just Grandpa Bill, her grandfather. Here is Heather’s story …
Paint me a picture, what was your Grandfather like?
Heather- My grandfather lit up the room. He exuded a positive attitude, cheerfulness, and general jovial spirit that was unmatched. He always had a good time and loved to entertain his friends and family. He loved his family and was a sweet husband to my grandmother, Pat, and an attentive father to my dad, Kim, and my uncles, Ty and Jerry. He was a cup half full type, who saw the best in everyone, and I never heard him utter a mean-spirited word. He believed in Science of the Mind, in that, he believed that the type of energy that you expend is the type of energy that you will attract back into your life. People were attracted to this positive energy and contagious happiness. He believed that anything is possible. If you had a dream, a vision for your future, a goal, a prayer, a wish of well-being for another, he believed that through visualizing and focusing on only the good, these dreams would become reality.
Along with his exceptional artistic talent, these ideas propelled him forward in the art and design world. He followed “his gut” and charged forward, absolutely, 100%, knowing that everything would work out. He had wildly creative ideas that he loved bringing to life. He loved learning about art in different cultures and was heavily influenced by “primitive art”.
His studio was filled with every issue of National Geographic, a huge collection of art books of Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, and many books and publications that highlighted primitive art, especially Oceanic. The type of art that he created changed through the years, but his creative flow never waned. It seemed to me that he always had an oil painting in the works.
Jazz musicians, the female form, and abstract themes were most common.
He kept carving even after Witco closed its doors in the 1970’s. He sold these custom carvings mostly to local friends, churches, and businesses.
He carved etchings and made watercolor prints through the 1980’s. Nautical scenes were his favorite, which is no surprise. He grew up mostly in Huntington Beach, CA. In the 1930’s and 1940’s he ran around this beach community, digging clams and fishing in the lagoons. When he moved to Washington state in the 1950’s, he rented a place on Guemes Island (a short 10-minute ferry ride from Anacortes, WA). This was his favorite place, the place he gathered his family and friends, and the place that helped melt away the worries of running the giant operation that was “Witco”. His three sons grew up here, fishing, crabbing and clamming, just as their father had done in his childhood. Guemes continues to be where four generations of Westenhavers gather.
How was your relationship with your Grandfather?
Heather- I had the best Grandfather in the world! Of course, I’m sure that this is the opinion of many little girls …
Grandpa included me in whatever he happened to be doing. He made me feel like I was the most important, the most special kid in the whole world. He taught me to beach comb. He taught me that being creative has value. He made space for me, so that I could draw or paint right next to him. He taught me to catch a fish and dig a clam. He taught me how to treat others with respect and kindness. He taught me to believe in myself and my dreams. We had a great relationship. He was a very easy person to adore.
Can you give me a little of your Grandpa’s history and of how Witco started?
Heather- He joined the Navy at age 17 and served in the South Pacific during WWII. He loved to draw and always included drawings and artwork in his letters back home.
After the war, he married Patricia Jean Frank and started a family in Southern California. He worked for Union Oil and went to school at LA Art Center on the GI Bill. He had a cousin in western Washington state that was operating an import company that he wanted Grandpa to be a part of. Rather than importing art, Grandpa wanted to carve his own.
He did some travelling back and forth between Washington and California, often carving masks, sculptures, and tikis out of Ivory soap and mailing it up to his cousin to have someone else carve a larger version out of wood. At that point, the company operated out of a basement. After several, fits and starts, the family packed up and moved to Skagit County. It was here that Grampa Bill and his cousin Robert Post Jr created Witco Decor.
It wasn’t long before Grandpa bought out his cousin and became the president of the company. He was doing what he loved and thrived in this environment. His wild style was a hit for over 20 years.
How did you and your husband Ken carry on the Witco brand?
Heather- As soon as Ken met William Westenhaver and learned about his chainsaw carving ability, he was trying to emulate him. He hacked up a few pieces of firewood in our backyard.
Ken got his first official carving lessons from Grandpa, shortly after we were married. It was 1998 and we had moved right down the street from my grandparent’s place in Mount Vernon, WA. He taught Ken, on vintage chainsaws from the Witco factory, complete with a pulley system to distribute the weight. He would carve half and then walk away and let Ken carve the other side to match.
Once we discovered that there were others that loved Witco too, Ken, began selling his carvings on eBay. Through Tiki Central he made tons of connections and some lifelong friends. In the Westenhaver family it has always been a given that we would be the ones to carry the torch.
We feel so blessed to have been able to have Ken study under such a master, who passed on such incredible designs to us. My father and my uncles were all able to work in the Witco factory at certain points in their lives (mostly in high school and college, burning and buffing on summer break). My dad worked closely with Grandpa often. He started as a youngster, cleaning the Witco offices and emptying ashtrays. He worked in the manufacturing plant as well. Much of his time there was spent painting the carvings, as a last step, before they were wrapped up and shipped. All three sons went to college, and chose other career paths. Sometimes these things skip a generation. They are all super proud and supportive of Ken and I, just like my grandparents have been over the last 20 years. The Witco Decor designs and the Witco Decor trademark have been passed down to us by William Westenhaver’s three sons.
What makes Witco carvings unique?
Heather- Witco carvings are very distinct. They are carved from super thick, large grain Pacific Northwest cedar, which along with the special finishing technique gives them a big, bold wood grain.
Wood was the primary medium, but it was often paired with faux fur, naugahyde, bright paint colors, or tropical textiles. The designs are 99% created by William Westenhaver, who was an artistic genius and had a very recognizable style.
The carvings are not only recognizable, but come in so many forms. Witco made tikis into chairs, tables, bedroom sets … the list goes on and on. Witco style was wildly creative and didn’t follow any rules, kind of like Grampa Bill.
What is the future of Pleasant Tiki/Witco?
Ken has been juggling two jobs for as long as he’s been carving. 2019 has been the first year that he is able to devote himself to Witco Decor by Pleasant Tiki full time. So far, he is carving some killer new stuff and it’s available to purchase on www.pleasanttiki.com
He has always been a hard worker, but to see him carving full time is spectacular. It’s awesome to see him in his element every day, rather than trying to fit carving in, in his spare time. He’s pumping out an insane amount of inventory. We have a lot of new pieces that we will be releasing over the next year. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet, be on the lookout!
We both want to continue to bring my Grandpa Bill’s art and new designs to people. It is something we are so proud to do and so passionate about! The feeling we both get, by carrying on our family legacy is indescribable. Even though he has been gone for a while now, when we are in the midst of recreating his designs, it feels as if he’s right here with us.
I’d like to thank Travis Bay for contributing his photos to this post.
Here is The Pleasant Tiki Website
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