Art Blog

12Apr 2023 by Leisa

NEWSFLASH! My first St. Louis Art show!

News

seen & found art show AND YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED! I am honored to join forces with three wonderful Benton Park artists, Don Murphy, Phyllis Terry Friedman and Scott Bean for this one-day pop up show on Sunday, April 23, between 11 - 7 pm with a wine&cheese reception between 6 - 7 pm. We all share a passion to amplify and celebrate some of St. Louis’ hidden gems. Featured media includes painting, prints, assemblages and photography. Scott Bean, paintings/prints “I love wild shadows, old architecture, designed spaces like parks as well as industrial scenes. Discovering St. Louis has been great for my art making. Nighttime corners of Soulard, twilight in Benton Park, the storefronts of Cherokee Street have all inspired my work for this show. I am glad…

11Apr 2023 by Leisa

Latest painting in my Abandoned Building Series

Historic Perservation, New Art

Introducing the 4th in my Love Me Don't Leave Me Series entitled "Hyde Park Elegance" Tucked away on Breman Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of St. Louis, this elegant Victorian looks forelorny across a sea of lush greens. Today the park is still beautiful but once it was the talk of the town with its gazebo, fountain, stocked lake, service building and playgrounds. The wealthy and elite owned these fine houses right on the park, and this home, with its welcoming porch, was one of the earliest and without doubt one of the finest. [caption id="attachment_34372" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Love Me Don't Leave Me entitled "Hyde Park Elegance"[/caption] So many stories and images flash before me as I look at her old tired bones, imagining those who lived and loved…

04Apr 2023 by Leisa

A Greek Revival treasure saved from demolition in the final hour

Historic Perservation, New Art, News

One of the gems of St. Louis architecture I have been concentrating lately on my Love Me Don’t Leave Me series in order to shine the light on the plight of abandoned buildings, many of which are now sadly teetering on the brink of final death and destruction. However, I decided I needed a break to put my attention onto creating a painting of a stunning historic building that instead has a happy ending. It was saved from demolition in the final hour, and now, 60 years later it serves as a house museum in St. Louis. Allow me to introduce to you my latest painting, the Chatillon-DeMenil House, one of the gems of St. Louis architecture! [caption id="attachment_34298" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Chatillon-DeMenil House[/caption] Although the Chatillon-DeMenil House sits right in…

03Apr 2023 by Leisa

Introducing another piece in my abandoned building series

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, New Art, News

Happy Spring my friends! It is no secret that I am passionate about saving historic buildings. I consider them works of art and after all, architecture is about people. Our built history is created by people and it is people that give life to brick and mortar. Instead, one of the key reasons I created my coffee table book, Hand Painted Homes - An Artist's Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America, (which I released in 2021) was to raise awareness of the fact that hundreds of historic homes and buildings are being torn down every day in this country. I decided to document beautiful vintage structures before it was too late. Sadly, many of the homes that I feature in my book, no longer stand today. Last August I moved…

03Mar 2023 by Leisa

My Latest Historic Preservation Award goes to . .

Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award, New Art

Awardees Jenifer and Ivan Garcia! As Jenifer and Ivan Garcia, the founders of Garcia Properties, state on their website, they formed their enterprise with one driving desire -- to leave whatever they touched a little better. Two decades later, after renovating and otherwise bringing back to life almost one hundred individual properties across St. Louis, they have indeed kept to their word. The award presentation took place on May 23, in the upstairs lounge of the Golden Hoosier Restaurant and Bar on South Kingshighway in South St. Louis. The Alderman for the 10th Ward, Joe Vollmer, joined me in honoring the Garcias. [caption id="attachment_33858" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Unveiling the award painting to Jenifer and Ivan Garcia[/caption] [caption id="attachment_33859" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] 10th Ward Alderman, Joe Vollmer, joined me in honoring the Garcias.[/caption]…

14Feb 2023 by Leisa

The Despair of Abandoned Homes

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, New Art, News

Happy Valentine’s Day friends! It is no secret that I have a love affair with saving historic buildings. I consider them works of art and after all, architecture is about people. Our built history is created by people and it is people that give brick and mortar life. I moved to St. Louis seven months ago knowing that one of the biggest problems confronting this city is abandoned homes and buildings. And while the city and preservation advocates have worked diligently over the years to improve this situation, today out of a total of 129,500 properties, a whopping 25,000 are considered vacant and abandoned. As I drive around the city, it breaks my heart to see crumbling and discarded buildings, however their beauty and form can still be seen behind…

16Jan 2023 by Leisa

My Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Historic Perservation, New Art, News

The birth home of a truly great American Last year, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day, I painted this portrait of the Atlanta, Georgia home where the great orator, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and leader of the American civil rights movement was born. I wanted to pay my respect and celebrate his life and legacy the best way I know how — with my paintbrush. Martin Luther King Jr. (originally named Michael Jr.) was born on the second floor of this clapboard Victorian house on January 15, 1929, and he lived there for the first twelve years of his life. His home was a happy one, and he once said, “I grew up in a family where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present.” Located…

08Jan 2023 by Leisa

2022: Year in Review

New Art, News

Hello friends, Now that the whirl of the holiday season is over, I decided it was time to stop for a minute and reflect on achievements of 2022, before I become completely engulfed in the activities of 2023! My husband, Bruce, and I spent the first part of the year in Lansing, Michigan, helping Bruce's Mom, Crystal, who sadly passed away in early May. At 89 years of age, Crystal lived a happy and fulfilling life and most importantly she went on her own terms, without suffering and even won at the casino that very last day. She will always be an inspiration to me in terms of living life to the fullest. By August we were on our way to our next adventure and by September we had settled…

01Dec 2022 by Leisa

The Joy of Living in a Historic Neighborhood

Historic Perservation, Historic Preservation, New Art, News

Painting a local bookstore and cafe. Just two blocks away from our home, sitting right on the edge of Benton Park with a tranquil view of the lake from the outdoor patio, is Spine Bookstore and Café. [caption id="attachment_32691" align="aligncenter" width="1483"] The latest painting in my Benton Park neighborhood series, Spine Bookstore & Cafe[/caption] I has provided a nice walkable respite for me when I need a break – and a good coffee. One can often find the owner, Mark Pannebecker, behind the bar and he is always good for a yarn and a laugh. In the evenings, Spine offers open mic, live music, book readings and poetry and you can grab a beer, wine or one of their cocktail specials. In fact, Spine was voted Best Indy Bookstore…

09Nov 2022 by Leisa

New Home and Studio in St. Louis!

News

Leaving Michigan . . . . It was a blustery summer day and finally all signs of city life were now behind us. I was at the wheel. Bruce seemed to be aimlessly flicking through his phone. Lush green trees and fields dotted with red barns, farmhouses and haystacks lay before me. This was pure Michigan at its best! We were headed due south for a welcome break in Florida and planned to make camp for the night in German Village, Columbus. We had promised ourselves a nice hotel and I was dreaming about the hot tub that awaited us. . . Suddenly, the idyllic silence was broken. "I found it!" exclaimed Bruce excitedly. "It's just been listed - it's the house we've been looking for!" We had already decided…

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