My Dunedin Connection. . .
Growing up in New Zealand, I always longed to visit Dunedin Scotland. Although I have since travelled all over England, I still haven’t made it there. But ironically, Dunedin, New Zealand, was one of the first cities I explored on my travelling artistic adventure throughout NZ in the late 70’s.
Since then I have to come to realize that Dunedin Florida has some stark similiarites. They are both situated on the coast, and both have very interesting architecture, which for me is always a main draw. Dunedin NZ, the oldest city in the country, was founded by Scottish settlers and its name also derives from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Dun Eideann. And while Dunedin, NZ, was growing rapidly in the late 1800’s, thousands of miles away, so too was Dunedin, Florida.
All that to say, that I feel it is more than fitting for me to feature the charm of Dunedin architecture as part of my current book project, “Hand-painted Homes of Tampa Bay”. Creating coffee table books of some of my favorites cities and areas of the USA, is my next phase following the success of my national coffee table book, entitled Hand Painted Homes: An Artist’s Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America.
While this book highlights homes and historic buildings in all 50 states, I am excited to now give a more in-depth look at the fascinating and eclectic mix of architectural residential styles in various cities and geographic areas. As with my original book, my new books will feature my original paintings and include architectural history about each area focused on. Most importantly the books will pay tribute to homeowners in each city who have lovingly restored and maintained their homes.
Arriving in Dunedin FL and my Dunedin House Portrait Series
Over the years and when in the area, I have created a handfiulof portraits of Dunedin homes, but now I need to build an entire series in order to show the breath and beauty of Dunedin homes and historic buildings in my new Tampa Bay coffee table book. To give an idea of some of the homes in this area, Victoria Drive is a favorite street and I was commissed to paint this home. While the home is newly constructed, I appreciate that it was specifcally designed to fit in with the historic charm of the area.
My passion is to create paintings of homes that tell the story of architectural history and diversity, while preserving the memories of every unique home. This home is also on Victoria Drive. It is a classic Victorian built in 1900.
I have now cast my artistiic eye over the streets and homes of Dunedin, and have hand-picked an electic mix of homes–in many different architectural styles–that I feel are unique in their own special way. I have always considered Dunedin to be an artistic community-minded city and I hope to show its architectural legacy in my Dunedin series. I am in the process of notifing each homowner, and I look forward to hearing back from those interested — or other homeowners who care to reach out and have me create a painting of their home while I am in the area.
As a travelling artist, I have always funded my work to promote the history and architectural legacy of homes in America through my art.
In honor of my Dunedin House Portrait series, I am excited to announce that I am currently offering house portrait commissions with a 15% discount to all Dunedin homeowners.
I would like to share these Dunedin home paintings that I have captured with my pen and paintbrush to show the diversity of styles that can be found in various parts of the city.
Telling my story through my books
I have been so honored by the popularity of my national coffee table book, and thrilled to see people of all ages being able to relate to the stories and paintings that I included.
The impetus for this book was that I could not stand by and see these beautiful old homes disappear from the landscape forever. Once lost, they can never to be replaced. It is my hope that my new books raise further awareness of the importance of saving architectural treasures, so we may be proud of the architectural legacy we leave behind. In this respect, the books are collector’s items for anyone who appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of historic architecture.
Travelling is in my DNA and I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. I fund my awareness campaign by through my original paintings and I am blessed to receive regular requests for commissioned home portraits from around the country, however chosing my own house portrait subjects and creating collections of paintings of different areas, is something I enjoy immensely.
It is my hope that my new books will continue to give well deserved recognition to homeowners — so often the unsung heroes of historic preservation. Without their dedication and perseverance, this country would have only a fraction of its historic treasures.
I will be around the Dunedin area for a little while. For any Dunedin homeowners reading this post who are interested in having me preserve the memories of their home as a work of art, please get in touch so that I can answer any questions or give you further details about your home.
And if you happen to see me on the street, make sure you stop and say hello!
Cheers, Leisa
