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12Mar 2020 by Leisa
Returning to my Auckland NZ roots. . .

Returning to my Auckland NZ roots. . .

News
Retracing my artistic journey and being shocked at what was no longer there Going home to New Zealand is always a sentimental journey for me. While I have returned to my Auckland hometown many times since marrying an American and living in the USA for the last three decades, this time was different.  I decided I would retrace my footsteps of those early days when I abandoned a formal art education and opted for the adventure of going it alone and making my living from my art. It was Auckland's inner-city historic homes and architecture that sparked my passion for architectural art.  Images of my paintings and photos from this time are sparse, but I dug around and collected up every remnant I could find.  I was determined to go…
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25Feb 2020 by Leisa
San Antonio House Portrait Collection

San Antonio House Portrait Collection

House Portraits, News
Watercolor Paintings in San Antonio When I ventured into San Antonio for the first time while touring Texas I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer diversity and impressive array of house portrait styles. I guess I was expecting to see many more Spanish style homes but I found that the Greater San Antonio area has it all! In studying up more, I learned that architecture in San Antonio comes from a wide variety of sources. While it is true that many of the city's homes reflect Texas' Spanish and Mexican roots; with some influence from French builders, rapid growth in the city since the mid twentieth century has led to a fairly wide variety of interesting contemporary architectural buildings as well.  San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the U.S. and the 2nd largest…
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17Feb 2020 by Leisa
Crepe Myrtle Trees and a House Portrait in Savannah GA

Crepe Myrtle Trees and a House Portrait in Savannah GA

House Portraits
Vibrant summer color of Crepe Myrtle Trees In the last 10 years I have created around 2500 portraits of homes and historic buildings in all 50 states. And the one summer element that never fails to disappoint, due to its wonderful color, are Crepe Myrtles.  No  matter where in the country I find myself, I have to say that there are always Crepe Mrytles to welcome me. This lovely home in Savannah, Georgia, is a classic example.  It sits right by the water and is actually the first home of a  very nice newly wed couple. The wife is giving it as a surprise Valentine's gift to her husband!  I chose this home to be part of my Savannah series as I feel it is a tastefully designed new built…
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15Feb 2020 by Leisa
House Portrait – from Cold Winter to Vibrant Summer

House Portrait – from Cold Winter to Vibrant Summer

House Portraits
Omaha Home as I saw it last summer... Last summer I was driving through a lovely tree-lined street in Omaha and a classic brick Colonial Revival home caught my eye. It stood out as it was somewhat elevated and long layers of brick stairs led up to a cheerful red door -- which made it even more welcoming. The home attracted me as it was a study in contrasts, the rich warmth of the brick against crisp white trim and black shutters. I decided to make this home part of my Omaha house portrait series. I wondered what was behind those interesting dormer windows. Were they bedrooms, a study perhaps or as is sometimes the case, just storage. I couldn't help thinking that the space would probably make a wonderful…
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14Feb 2020 by Leisa
Columbus Ohio House Portrait – a lovingly maintained historic home

Columbus Ohio House Portrait – a lovingly maintained historic home

House Portraits, News
Columbus, a preservation conscious city Over the last 10 years, I have travelled to every state in the USA and as I now embark on my new series of paintings of Columbus homes, I am finding a wonderful mix of architectural styles. From welcoming Craftsmen homes, to Victorians and Queen Anns, to elegant Tudors, Colonial Revivals, Italianate styles, Ranch homes and more, Columbus has it all!  I am also seeing a general trend in the city where there is an increased awareness regards the need to preserve and protect older homes and buildings. My own experience regarding historic preservation, after traveling 50,000 miles across the USA,  is that it is the homeowner who is the unsung hero in terms of investing their time, efforts and finance into lovingly restoring and…
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12Feb 2020 by Leisa
The Beauty of a Winter House Portrait

The Beauty of a Winter House Portrait

House Portraits
Snowy magic in Illinois and a welcoming home in watercolor [caption id="attachment_14914" align="aligncenter" width="3714"] Home in the snow in Inverness, IL[/caption] Living in Michigan as I am currently, I sometimes curse the lack of mobility that winter brings.  The snow ploys, salt, having to pry ice off the care, snow shoveling and not to mention the arctic temperatures! As an artist I remind myself that winter is actually a beautiful aesthetic time of year. Snow is a like a blanket of white magic that descends on us, quietly and peacefully. It covers ugliness and even the most dilapidated homes can look  lovely, especially with warm light in the windows. Winter is your chance to wear your favorite sweaters and hat and scarf sets. It a time for cosy fires and…
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08Feb 2020 by Leisa
Announcing the 10th Anniversary of Leisa Collins Art!

Announcing the 10th Anniversary of Leisa Collins Art!

News
Highlights of the Past Decade. . . I don't spend a lot of time looking back as I'm usually too busy moving forward. However, surviving a decade as a small business while doing what I love is something worth celebrating! So before diving into the next decade, I decided to take a moment to reflect on the last 10 years, where I've come from, what I've achieved and the things I can truly be grateful for. So many of you have contributed to my success and I would like to sincerely thank you for that and share with you here some highlights of the last decade. The travel bug...  30,000 miles across the USA At the end of 2018 I achieved my dream of creating portraits of homes and historic buildings…
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02Feb 2020 by Leisa
Completion of my Historic Chicago House Portrait Series!

Completion of my Historic Chicago House Portrait Series!

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News
Chicago Architecture is one of a kind! I am proud to display these paintings of my Chicago Historic House Portrait Collection. It is a well known fact that the architecture of Chicago has influenced and reflected upon the history of American architecture.  Chicago's imaginative architecture displays the city's fascinating history and its multicultural heritage.  It features a variety of styles designed by many prominent architects. Sadly, in the downtown area, most structures were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 (the most famous exception being the Water Tower), therefore Chicago buildings are mainly noted for their originality. My series of paintings goes beyond the downtown area and its towering skyscrapers. I wandered through the vibrant neighborhoods and drove down leafy residential streets and soon discovered why Chicago uniqueness is…
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24Dec 2019 by Leisa
Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

News
Wishing you the joy of family, the gift of friends and the best of everything in 2020! One of the real joys for me this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you for your support of original art. Best wishes,  Leisa
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