Lauren Leigh Stanley is spreading color across Orange County. While Michaelango painted on a ceiling and Van Gogh used canvas, Stanley paints on walls or windows.
The artist, who is orginally from Houston, moved to Orangefield five years ago and is now in demand for her Lauren Leigh’s Murals. One of her most visible works is in the new Orange City Hall on 16th Street.
The former First Financial building was remodeled to become city hall. A long bank of windows separates the lobby from offices. The windows are painted with Christmas designs including Santa Claus, a snowman, snow, and a wreath. Oranges draped in Christmas lights are incorporated into the theme.
Window paintings are new for Stanley. She has been doing wall murals and was asked to do a design for a window.
She took her acrylic paints and started creating. “You do a mural, you can do a window,” she said.
Apple Tree Day Care on FM 105 in Orangefield was her first window commission. She did a Grinch and Whos from Whoville. Other requests came. Her window portfolio includes four Family Pharmacy stores and a doctor’s office in Mauriceville.
Stanley said her window designs are not as detailed as her wall murals, but she has fun doing them.
The city’s Social Media Coordinator Hillary Gravett and Events Coordinator Leigh Anne Dallas helped get Stanley to paint the city hall windows. Dallas said the lobby is lit at night and the windows can be seen from 16th Street.
Stanley was born to make art. “I’ve been painting my whole life,” she said.
She enjoys the wide space that a mural provides. Her murals have included a detailed Dallas Cowboy in action, the Hulk, and Captain America. Her favorite is an old sailing ship she painted for her brother. She said the ship mural took a total of about 24 hours to paint.
Currently, she is painting nursery murals at Bridge Point Church in Bridge City. She has also done murals for Turning Point Church in Vidor.
The artist is married to Brandon Stanley and they have two children, two-year-old Brynleigh, and Kip, who is nine and in the fourth grade at Orangefield. She’s been asked to do a mural for the school library.
Windows are different from the murals on walls in that they will not last as long. Stanley knows that soon, the city hall Christmas windows will be scraped clean.
Lauren Leigh Murals has a Facebook page with photos of her work. People interested in commissioning a design can contact her through the Facebook page.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
Social Media