Architectural paintings of homes – Before & After
Some of my most challenging watercolor house portraits . . . I'm making a plug for all artists who like me, make their living from ORIGINAL hand-crafted one of a kind art. Yes I am talking about the "old-school" way of doing things where only ONE painting was created of a subject, brought about by the skilled hands of artists and crafts-people alike. People today often talk about simply "photo-shopping" things away, or creating "digitally-modified" art. My view is that while this is the "easy" way to do things, there is too much reliance on this route. Here one good reason why. Have a look at this stunning Queen Anne home in Alameda CA which I recently completed. It was built in the 1870's and has been in the family…
House Portrait of a Denver Ranch Home
Transformation of a Denver home - inside and out! I had pretty well wrapped up my series of portraits of Denver homes but decided to review the collection one more time. There were Victorians, Tudors, lots of Craftsman, Colonial Revivals, Spanish Revivals, Cape Cod, Dutch Renaissance a few tasteful contemporary homes. . . then it stuck me, there was no Ranch style home! And yet, Denver, like all bigger cities across the USA, has an abundance of this practical, family oriented home. Ranch homes sometimes get dismissed as common cookie cutter homes you would expect in equally bland suburbs. But this is absolutely not the case if you look a little closer. Ranch homes can not only be stylishly stunning, but very welcoming too. Especially if the right owner comes…
Unveiling my Denver House Portrait Collection
The breathtaking beauty of Colorado From the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains, Colorado is a land of vast geographic contrasts that attracts outdoor adventurers, wilderness lovers and winter sports enthusiasts. However, one can also find towering cities, monumental historic landmarks, charming small towns and windswept ghost towns. I have always loved Colorado. With its soaring mountains and lakes it reminds me of my homeland of New Zealand. I include a number of Colorado homes in my coffee table book Hand Painted Homes: An Artist's Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America including this stunning log cabin home in Crested Butte in the Rocky Mountains. Recently The Mountain Ear newspaper in Nederland, CO, featured a story about my book and my feelings about Colorado. [caption id="attachment_27648" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Log home in…
Announcing the First of my Industrial Architecture Painting Series
The Rugged Beauty of Industrial Architecture As I travel across the country -- whether through cities or out in the wilderness -- I am becoming increasingly aware of the remnants of America’s industrial architecture and have been inspired by the rugged beauty of their forms. After all, at the root of this country’s progress over the last two centuries, were the factories built to produce needed goods – from the finest linens to firearms -- for a rapidly growing nation. I have just completed the first three paintings in this series. As you can see, the technique I use is a far cry from the fine detailed pen and watercolors of my signature house portraits, Iconic American Architecture series and more. This first pair of original paintings evolved from various…
Portrait of a unique home — named the most original in the USA
Hidden desert home in Scottsdale Arizona As featured in House Beautiful, this unique home which was designed by architect Charles Johnson and built right into the surrounding granite boulders — in fact, they make up 60% of the structure. It’s currently on the market for around 4 million. The future owners will definitely be living as one with nature in this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house. The nine-acre property is full of interesting forms and natural accents thanks to its stucco walls, wood beams, and stone steps. And talk about unique curb appeal: An ancient petroglyph is carved into the exterior and helped the house get a place on the National Register of Historic Places. [caption id="attachment_5936" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The entrance of the home in Scottsdale AZ[/caption] Here is a mini tour…
Painting of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello: Latest in my Iconic American Series
Monticello, “Little Mountain,” was home to Thomas Jefferson from 1770 to 1826. It was also the architectural masterpiece of the author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States. Renowned as one of America’s first and finest architects, Thomas Jefferson created, rebuilt, and revised the house throughout his long life. The home reflects the personality of Jefferson, a Renaissance man and one of the Founding Fathers. [caption id="attachment_29299" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Painting of Monticello, the latest in my Iconic American Architecture series[/caption] History of Monticello Jefferson began building Monticello in 1769 on the plantation that he inherited from his father. Located it on top of a hill, the original eight-room main house was still incomplete in the 1780s. Regardless, the sophistication of Jefferson’s design impressed European visitors. …
A dog rescued from death’s door, a forever home and a house portrait…
Once upon a time, when I lived in California, I spotted a beautiful Spanish home on Bel Aire Drive in Glendale, California. . . I decided it had to be Glendale House Portrait series. When the painting was close to completion, as is always my policy, I left a note for the owner of the home and asked if she would like to view the original painting. Little did I know who lived in this home or their touching rags to riches story. [caption id="attachment_6081" align="aligncenter" width="608"] Toni Bua's home on Bel Aire Dr, Glendale, CA[/caption] Homeowner, Toni Bua, answered with a resounding, "YES!" She told me how much she loved "Casa Bua", her forever home, and how she recently became the proud "Mom" of Miley, a white Husky who was found…
First Paintings of Historic Homes in German Village, Columbus OH
A trip through Columbus Ohio is never complete for my husband and me until we stop in and visit the charming town of German Village. It a historic neighborhood, situated just south of the city's downtown. As the name suggests, it was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century. At one time these immigrants totaled close to a third of the city's entire population. I am now well into a series of house portraits depicting some of my favorite homes in the area, as part of a series of 50 paintings of homes and historic buildings I have now created within the greater Columbus area. The city of Columbus has a fascinating history, but in this article I am concentrating on the earliest residential area in the…