If you’ve been downtown recently, you’ve probably noticed a trend on storefront windows.

Stretching from Garner to Fraser, local and chain stores alike are sporting some new paint, all thanks to Emily Cooper.

Cooper is a Pennsylvania native from Schuylkill County. She grew up around art with both her grandfather, a woodworker, and grandmother, a painter, influencing her. Their house was filled with art projects for Cooper and her siblings to express themselves through various mediums.

In high school, Cooper felt drawing was her bread and butter until a landscape painting assignment in art class made her change her mind. Her teacher provided a bonus assignment to paint a rainbow trout on his wall, solidifying her love for large-scale painting.

“I really liked doing something long-lasting that a lot of people can see,” Cooper said. “It was just fun for me to watch the progress because it happens slower when you’re doing it on something that big.”

After a semester at West Chester University, Cooper moved to State College and worked a series of jobs downtown for 11 years. About a year ago, she decided to work again after taking a two-year hiatus following the birth of her son. It was at this time that she found a Facebook ad in need of a face painter. 

“We had thought about face painting and then there this opportunity was. It was a small birthday party with a bunch of kids running around, but I loved it. I love kids. It was like my dream,” Cooper said. “It was combining all of my favorite things: kids, painting, and community. From there I started my business, Let’s Face It With Emily.”

Cooper face paints at Penn State football games, festivals, a majority of the Penn State women’s sporting events, and birthday parties. 

As the winter months came about, Cooper was booked less and the extra income began to shrink. As an alternative to fill the time, Cooper turned to her connections downtown to help her out.

“After being here for 11 years and working downtown for a long time, I had built a lot of relationships in the community, so it felt very natural for me to go into literally every store downtown that had a window and ask them if they wanted me to paint it,” Cooper said. 

Enough businesses agreed that Cooper successfully filled the gap from face painting. Eventually, the requests kept coming.

Other stores started reaching out asking for her services on their windows, and with the changing holiday seasons, Cooper needed different designs. Cooper found herself painting more windows than she initially thought she would.

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Her designs range from complete creative control to advertising for the business. Spectacles on the corner of Fraser Street and College Avenue have whimsical flowers, while McClanahan’s on Garner Street features a seven-foot sub. 

Regardless of the design, Cooper has the same process. She discusses ideas with the owner and then free-hands them on a piece of paper. For the windows, they need to be washed and then two layers of white acrylic paint are layered on to make the other colors stick out more. Everything about Cooper’s execution is organically her.

“I don’t use digital art. I’m not a perfectionist when I’m painting. It’s the human touch. It’s going to have imperfections and that’s what makes it art,” Cooper said. “My style is always developing as I’m learning new techniques.”

Cooper brings that mindset to her face painting as well. In some situations, “speed painting” is needed where she offers designs that, while still intricate, are easier for her to get done with different techniques and paints she uses. 

Last May for Cinco de Mayo, Cooper was hired by the Basement Nightspot to provide face and body painting for their customers. This allowed Cooper to gain more experience painting areas other than the face, such as the shoulder and clavicle, that she doesn’t get at her usual gigs. 

As Cooper has taken on more and more roles in town, she’s expanded her employee list. Recently, she trained her friend Jo Novick in her face painting procedure that, along with the creative aspect, requires a lot of attention to sanitation.

With both window and face painting, Cooper attributes her creativity to her faith and the natural desire humans have to create.

“Every single person has a gift to offer. I like being able to connect people to something. It’s a desire,” Cooper said. “Obviously, I love painting, but I love the connection more. I’m not trying to be the best artist. I just want people to enjoy it. That is a huge value in doing public art.”