Art Blog

26Feb 2015 by Leisa

Do Art Not Drugs Show a Hit!

A light-hearted Art Show . . . with a serious message! This was a fun one! Held during the South Pasadena Arts Crawl, I had a wonderful array of artists joining me. They included: Carl Christensen and his woodwork creations; Lena Quagliato and her paintings with "tea" as well as realistic nature paintings; Katie Dean and her beautiful line of handmade jewelry: Theodore Sveningsen, an accomplished artist who displayed his interesting etchings; photographer Christine Murphy and her lovely nature photos and Kayla Cloonan who displayed a number of attractive miniature abstracts in oil. Key to this exhibition was it's theme -- Do Art Not Drugs! Why this theme? Because drugs stultify and destroy creativity! And not just street drugs but equally as dangerous and "legal" pharmaceuticals that are handed out…

15Feb 2015 by Leisa

Do Art Not Drugs – Art Show

Do Art Not Drugs, News

AN INVITATION TO ALL THOSE IN THE LA AREA

12Feb 2015 by Leisa

What does a House Portrait in Jordan look like?

House Portraits

A house portrait story that goes beyond the shores of the USA. . . One of my clients who lives in a lovely historic home in Washington DC told her father, who lives in Jordan, about my work. He then commissioned me to create paintings of his home. This was an exciting project as I had no idea what a home in Amman, Jordan would look like. Before long I was sent a battery of photos of the home to use in making my recommendations on how to best portray it as a work of art. My two favorite choices were the photos below. I love the garden and grandeur of the front and yet the the angle showing the pool is also very interesting. …

12Jan 2015 by Leisa

From House-Wreck to Charming Chateau!

Repurposed Homes

When it comes to homes, there is nothing more fascinating than inspiring before and after transformation stories. Being that I have so many wonderful clients around the country with interesting stories I have decided to share some of these with you. This is a classic one. Here is what this Burbank California property looked like when Mark and Lori Rolph, purchased it a few years ago. Being the owners of MCR Construction, Inc., a company with a reputation for its creative design flair and building finesse, they were fortunately well qualified for the task ahead. The property when first purchased -- in it's house-wreck state. As you can see here, they built up from the general footprint of the home, making the most of their corner lot, nestled under the Verdugo…

29Dec 2014 by Leisa

Shipping Containers into Repurposed Homes

Repurposed Homes

Did you know there are 700,000 sea cargo containers sitting empty and unused in America and more than 3 million worldwide? Today we see a world that is in dire need of adequate housing for millions of people. Why not repurpose rather than discarding and buying new. Below is a new four-unit apartment building in Washington DC – a first in the area. Checking out the finished product in these photos from the Washington Business Journal, you’d think the finished units were on the higher-end, cost-wise. Architect Travis Price, however, is quick to disspell that idea. “It was just building with steel, glass and wood,” Price said, in an interview. “That’s what people are paying high numbers for, and we’re making it affordable for everybody (with these containers).” Another…

18Dec 2014 by Leisa

House Portraits this week!

House Portraits

Watercolor Homes in Five States With Christmas around the corner I have been super busy and engrossed in an interesting mix of portraits. This gorgeous home in Newton Square, Pennsylvania, is an all time garden favorite. Last year the homeowner commissioned me to do a pen and watercolor of his home from the front and now I have had the pleasure of painting the equally interesting view from the back of the home. [caption id="attachment_5584" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Garden view of Pennsylvania Home[/caption] And here is another commission, this time a cute Cape Code in Indiana. This is a family home and will be a Christmas present for the parents who still live there. [caption id="attachment_5585" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Family Cape Code Home in Indiana[/caption] On the east coast this week, I…

08Dec 2014 by Leisa

This Week’s House Portraits

House Portraits

Unique House Portrait Subjects - Historic Victorian to Classic Modern. It was another fun week with an interesting array of homes, this time in seven different cities and eight distinctly different architectural styles. One of my favorites was this Victorian Row House tucked away on Willard St NW in the heart of Washington DC. The architecture in this area of DC is quite outstanding and applaud the homeowners and the city for the care that is taken to keep the historic beauty of these home in tact. Built in the late 19th century, note the wonderful detail of this home. I love the color choice too, especially against the warm colors of Fall. Here is the portrait along with the homeowner and her extremely cute baby! [caption id="attachment_5524" align="alignleft" width="250"]…

24Nov 2014 by Leisa

House Portrait with Four Cats!

House Portraits

Watercolor home in seasonal settings This was a really fun project and a wonderful story. My client asked me to create four paintings of her childhood home in Wellesley, MA in each of the four seasons. She gave me details for each season and had a special request. That I include four different cats that her parents have had and loved over the years and the typical poses for each. Then she left me to it! This Christmas she is presenting an original seasonal painting to her parents (who still live in the home) as well as her two siblings. She and her husband are keeping one for themselves of course! Please enjoy the beauty of the seasons below. And see if you can find the cats! In the…

13Oct 2014 by Leisa

19 Ways to Promote and Sell Your Art

The Flourishing Artist

I realize that suddenly dumping your day job and making your living solely from your art may seem daunting. So where do you start? Being that so many artists ask me what promotional actions they should take, I have listed out some really basic ones below. These are all actions that I took to get my art career up and running. They mainly apply to visual artists, but can be adapted for any artist who is starting out. Even if you are currently doing your art as a part time hobby while juggling a 9 – 5 job, make a START on these actions and you can build on them from there. This list includes promotional actions within your local community as well as much broader on-line actions. Both are…

05Oct 2014 by Leisa

The Joy of Creating!

The Flourishing Artist

Much has been said about art and creativity. People often tell me how lucky I am “to be born with creative talent” and how they wish they were also “a creative person” . Let me dispel this false idea on creativity. Let’s look at the definition of the word “create” as per the Meriam-Webster Dictionary: a. to produce through imaginative skill b. to bring into existence My point is that we are ALL capable of using our imagination and creating something as a result! Whether it’s making a delicious meal, a beautiful garden, a knitted sweater or a new dance step, each of these creations is as unique as the person creating it! So let’s get back to making a living from your art. The first step is to use…

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