Matching 1935 home and car – my latest house portrait commission!
The reason I love painting homes is because homes are about people. That’s what makes them fascinating. Just as we are all uniquely different, homes reflect the personalities of their owners, they have their own character and are imbued with family memories and stories.
I receive a lot of fun and unique commission requests but this one is a first! A color coordinated home and car that were both born in 1935!
So here is a little story about the owners of these twins, my delightful clients Mike and Debi Hugill. Now both retired, Mike spent 38 years in sales and most recently as VP Sales for an international Silicon Valley company and Debi worked in the nursing profession.
When Mike spotted this Craftsman cottage on Sierra Avenue in the historic Rose Garden district of San Jose, California, in 2005 it was love at first sight. He decided before he even walked in the door that this was the home for him. Over the ensuing years he gave it a fresh look without detracting from its original charm. He enlarged the porch, added shutters, landscaping and the white picket fence.
“But the best thing of all,” says Mike, was reconnecting with Debi at a high school reunion in Florida in 2012 and having Debi join him in his San Jose forever home. They married in 2013.
Both love American made products and so they decided to buy a fun car for Mike’s upcoming retirement. They snatched up a 1935 Ford 5-Window Coupe from a private collection that was being sold by a museum in Chicago and had it transported to San Jose. Once in their possession, they decided to keep it original throughout.
They thought it would be unique to have the car and home matching, being that they are two of their favorite possessions.
After getting upgrades on the car they entered it into its first show last October and were thrilled to win People’s Choice Award and bring home the trophy!
Here’s what Mike and Debi have to say about their original San Jose painting:
“As we look at the painting, it truly is a great depiction of our house and car but we feel that your style and personal touch captured the warmth of our home and lifestyle. You have more than an eye for our home…you have a heart!”
When I create a series of home portraits depicting a particular neighborhood or city, I like to find out more about it. San Jose is California’s third largest city and as such is an integral component within the San Francisco Bay Area. As the Capital of Silicon Valley, it is an epicenter for global change, however it also has a rich and interesting history.
What you probably don’t know is that San Jose was founded as early as 1777 and is California’s oldest civil settlement. It became the first state capital in 1850. As such it has a diverse and fascinating mix of architecture, both historic and new.
I am enjoying creating my San Jose collection and thought I would share some of them with you for your viewing pleasure!
Ciao for now,
Leisa
