Leisa Collins: New Zealand Beginnings
A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Leisa Collins embarked on her artistic career in the late 1970′s. At the age 17 she abandoned the confines of formal art training. She opted to learn her craft by traveling across New Zealand and capturing its rugged beauty in her paintings. In the first photograph below you can see her painting Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand.
Painting Mt Cook, 1976.
House Portrait Painting, 1980
Auckland Star Article, 1980
Temporary Studio: Unused Farmhouse, 1977
She enjoyed a successful six-year career specializing in landscapes and house portraits of historic buildings while becoming increasingly active in social issues.
Non-profit activities became her primary focus and took her to the four corners of the world and gave her a firsthand view of diverse cultures and societal inequities.
Leisa Collins: Art with a Message
In 2009, Leisa decided to re-launch her art career. To mark the occasion, she and her American husband began a 12,000 mile journey across America to find the perfect place to live and work. They discovered and fell in love with Old Town Alexandria. Leisa set up her studio there in April 2010. Since then she has completed hundreds of paintings of Old Town homes and street scenes and produces an annual Old Town calendar.
In October 2010, Leisa spearheaded a project to create a 60 foot public mural in Del Ray. The project coincided with the annual Art on the Avenue street festival. She involved local youth groups in painting the mural to promote human rights and convey Del Ray’s sense of community. The bulk of the painting was done on October 2nd during Art on the Avenue. Hundreds of youth and adults alike took part. The mural has since been hailed as a timeless Del Ray landmark.
Leisa is actively involved in local Alexandria communities through numerous art, historic and civic associations. In December 2010 she was appointed to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts.
Leisa Collins: Artist’s Statement
Art is a powerful means of communication and is therefore a potent weapon to bring about change that goes far beyond the studio and gallery walls. It’s about being intensely interested in the beauty and ugliness of everything surrounding one. This then allows me to create art that others can find interesting.
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ART GALLERY: Go to Leisa’s Gallery of Paintings (Landscapes, Portraits, Semi-Abstract)
Support a living artist and own original art. It creates a unique relationship between owner and artist, something increasingly rare in today’s artificial world. Feel free to browse my gallery and enjoy my original fine art paintings.
HOUSE PORTRAITS: Go to Leisa’s Gallery of House Portrait Paintings
Your home IS your castle! Why not capture it in an original house portrait painting? Give a memorable gift to yourself or a loved one that will be treasured for a lifetime. You will get a unique painting from a professional artist. MY HOUSE PORTRAITS ARE 100% QUALITY AND SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
COMMISSIONED ART: Go to Leisa’s Commissioned Art Page
Much of the art work I do is commissioned art. These are unique personalized paintings of people, homes or places that have special meaning to you or a family member or friend.
Are you interested in the Arts and Crafts Movement? Arts and Crafts style? Craftsman style homes? Bungalow style homes? See more of my original paintings at this website: www.Arts-and-Crafts-Style.com
