For Shawna Stanley, the holidays mean paint on glass. The artist behind Shawna Lou Creative builds personalized window displays, large-scale murals and hand-lettered ornaments for businesses and families across the Chippewa Valley, work that earned her the No. 1 Favorite Local Visual Artist honor in Volume One's Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll last year.

Stanley traces the work to a family of makers. Her grandmother sold handmade clothes, cakes and goods at local art markets, and her mother worked as a self-taught designer. Stanley said watching both of them gave her her own spark, and early sketchbook work and Volume One's Chalkfest helped pave the way for her solo business.

In the past year alone, she has finished 10 custom mural installations and 17 window paintings for clients across the Chippewa Valley. A project in neighboring Minnesota, described as one of her largest to date, is coming next.

Her window work can be seen locally at Tilly's Coffee Shoppe in Fall Creek, Cambridge Senior Living in Eau Claire and The Wellness Way in Osseo, among other locations. Some clients bring a structured concept, she said, while others step back and let her follow her intuition.

Tilly's owner Meghan Harder said Stanley takes an idea and turns it into something that makes people stop, look and feel something, creating an experience that gives customers another reason to connect with a business. Stanley also collaborates with her sister, muralist Jenna Wood of Wood Creative LLC, on large custom pieces around the region.

Stanley said having a brush in her hand is the best feeling, and that she loves sharing the process live with the community watching. Her services are listed at shawnaloucreative.com.