Art Blog

House Portrait Collection of Old Town Alexandria VA

House Portrait Collection of Old Town Alexandria VA

House Portraits, News
Old Town Alexandria  . . .  my artistic beginnings I have great affection and nostalgia for Old Town Alexandria.  It is where I launched my art career 11 years ago and I loved being part of the community and was honored to serve on the board of the Alexandria Arts Commission. Old Town Alexandria is a walkable historic district in the heart of the city of Alexandria, just south of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1749 when Alexandria was a thriving tobacco port in a British colony, it is renowned as George Washington’s hometown (his Mount Vernon estate is located just a few miles away) and still has a wide array of pre-Revolutionary War houses. The main historic styles found in Old Town Alexandria are Georgian, Federal, Victorian, Second Empire and…
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Old Town Alexandria street scene prints now available!

Old Town Alexandria street scene prints now available!

News
Old Town Alexandria  . . .  Where my journey began In 2009, my husband and I left California and embarked on a road trip across America to find a new place to settle. When we were near Washington D.C., we took a wrong turn and found ourselves in an enchanting historic district called Old Town Alexandria. It was love at  first sight and we both agreed immediately that it would be our new home. The third floor of the 1789 Federal style building (left) is where we lived and I had my studio. My passion was always historic architecture and Old Town proved to be the perfect spot to re-launch my art career. We lived in Old Town Alexandria for some years and I will always have a special attachment…
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Why I love historic homes. . .

Why I love historic homes. . .

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News
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…
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Newsflash! New podcast appearance

Newsflash! New podcast appearance

News
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:…
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Last week on social media (July 5-9)

Last week on social media (July 5-9)

News
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…
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Painting of Historic Grand Rapids Church Transformation Unveiled!

Painting of Historic Grand Rapids Church Transformation Unveiled!

Historic Perservation, News
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…
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Watercolor Homes of Greater Detroit Area, MI

Watercolor Homes of Greater Detroit Area, MI

House Portraits, News
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…
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Home portraits in Seattle and surrounding areas of WA

Home portraits in Seattle and surrounding areas of WA

Coffee Table Book, House Portraits
My Seattle and Washington State House Portrait Collection! Much of Washington is focused on the deep waters of Puget Sound. First settled during the early nineteenth century, the state has become home to substantial Hispanic and Asian ethnic minorities. This cultural variety manifested itself in numerous architectural styles --from homes, to churches and to the Evergreen State’s public buildings. Washington’s Architectural Styles The architecture of Washington State mirrors its uniquely diverse landscape. Like its two distinct climate zones, the Evergreen State covers everything from Craftsman to Italian Renaissance Revival designs. In a state famous for its natural splendor, Washington is known for its National Park Service rustic design. From Bellingham to Mount Rainier, one can find structures made from local materials like logs and stone, allowing the public buildings to…
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Homes of Greater Grand Rapids – Neighborhood House Portrait Collections

Homes of Greater Grand Rapids – Neighborhood House Portrait Collections

House Portraits, News
First Stage of my Grand Rapids Historic Home Portrait Series Now Completed! The Greater Grand Rapids Area is home to many beautiful neighborhoods filled with interesting homes full of character. After painting a wide variety of homes in many of these neighborhoods, I thought it was only fitting to showcase these home portrait paintings in a "Greater Grand Rapids Area" neighborhood series. I've added all of my house portraits from each neighborhood, which offers its own unique story and style, while the individual homes speak to the creativity of their architectural designers and homeowner caretakers. Baxter Neighborhood We'll begin our walk through Grand Rapids in the Baxter neighborhood. Wedged between Eastown and Heritage Hill, this small tight-knit community is resilient in it's efforts to create a more progressive and inclusive…
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