Why I love historic homes. . .
Touring a Historic Tudor Home A few days ago I delivered a house portrait II had just finished to Linda and Jim, the owners of a charming brick Tudor cottage in the Heritage Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Heritage Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its abundance of large Victorian houses. My clients were most gracious and asked if I would like the “grand tour” of their home. “Well of course!” I replied. The experience reminded me just why I love historic homes so much. As I have always said, architecture is about people, and every home with history has a story. The moment I entered their Tudor abode I could sense almost a 100 years of memories embedded in its walls. I thought…
Newsflash! New podcast appearance
I’m thrilled to share with you all that I was a guest on The Living Artist podcast with Preston M. Smith, and the episode went live today! If you haven’t yet caught this terrific podcast, I highly recommend it. Preston is such a good host — so grounded and genuine — an absolute joy to speak with. The Living Artist was ranked #7 on the “Top 30 Art Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021” list on Feedspot and for very good reason. It was a treat to have a chat with a fellow artist and discuss what it means to thrive as a creative voice in the art world. I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope you will, too! Listen: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-with-leisa-collins/id1502469424?i=1000529480316 Anchor: https://anchor.fm/pmsartwork/episodes/Interview-with-Leisa-Collins-e14neg1/a-a6619gi The Living Artist Website:…
Last week on social media (July 5-9)
My post-4th of July week was quite full. I was busy painting commissioned house portraits and promoting my new book. One very exciting event for me was meeting the couple who restored the Grand Rapids Victorian I painted for the cover of my book! They brought the home back to life and made it beautiful again. I’ll have pictures to share soon — before/after images as well as photos inside the home. This house will always hold a special place in my heart and I consider it an honor to have met the couple who restored it! [gallery type="rectangular" columns="2" size="medium" ids="25690,25691"] This Spanish Revival home is located in the Alamo Heights neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas. It was built in 1938, and if you think you’re seeing some Mediterranean…
Painting of Historic Grand Rapids Church Transformation Unveiled!
Community flocks to weekend event in East Hills, Grand Rapids MI Rainy weather did not dampen the enthusiasm for our community event and pop-up art show last weekend on the premises of what will become a vibrant art center at 1009 Hermitage St SE in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids. [caption id="attachment_25539" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Project Manager Carol Moore and Chair of the Hermitage at Diamond non-profit, Maureen Kirkwood, brief the attendees[/caption] Two hundred and fifty members of the community attended to find out more about the plans to transform this beautiful church constructed in 1875. They also witnessed me “unveiling” of my original painting of the church, depicting how it will look as an art center when fully restored. I was honored to present the painting to Maureen…
Watercolor Homes of Greater Detroit Area, MI
House Portrait Collection of Greater Detroit Area, Michigan! Firstly I would like to say that I am enjoying living in Michigan. The lush greens and wide open spaces remind me of my homeland of New Zealand. It's also nice to be close to family, as my husband was born and breed in this state. "I'd like to share an excerpt from my brand new book, "Hand Painted Homes: An Artist's Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America": "Greater Metro Detroit consists of the three counties that border or contain the city of Detroit. In addition to its automotive heritage, Metro Detroit is known for arts, entertainment, music, sports, architecture and design. A variety of natural landscapes, beaches and Great Lakes parks also make up the area. The outlying suburbs contain homes…
Homes of Huntington Woods, MI – House Portrait Collection
House Portrait Collection of Huntington Woods, Michigan! Today I'd like to introduce my collection of hand-painted homes in the neighborhood of Huntington Woods, MI. Just west of Royal Oak, this little city has an interesting history all it's own, including a number of homes built in the early 1800's that are still standing to this day. Demonstrating immense pride in their architectural history, Huntington Woods residents helped form the city into a Historic District in 2004 so as to protect the historic character of the delightful homes that can be found in the area. I also find it fascinating to learn about the history of an area. Huntington Woods served as a suburban escape from urban Detroit for many top white collar workers. By 1872, a hotel was built on…