Give the gift of art this Valentine’s Day

Give the gift of art this Valentine’s Day

News
Hello art lovers! With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, you may be concerned about finding a meaningful present to give your sweetheart. I truly believe that art is one of the most personal gifts you can give. Not only that, but commissioning a unique, original house portrait for Valentine's Day is like sending a love letter to your home AND those who live in it! This year, I'm offering two specials for the holiday... 1. If you are interested in having me paint an original house portrait as a Valentine's Gift, I am offering 15% OFF for the holiday! 2. Until February 14th, I’m offering a handful of gift certificates for 15% off. Reply to this email ASAP if you’re interested in this discount. Once you make the purchase, I’ll email…
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2024: Year in Review

2024: Year in Review

Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award, News, The Flourishing Artist
Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely holiday season and happy 2025 from St. Louis Missouri! As 2024 began winding down, I started to reflect on what the year looked like.  I always find it therapeutic and it helps me in looking ahead and setting my goals for the coming year. This year was significant as I celebrated my 40th anniversary of living in this great country. Sure, the USA has its fair share of problems and imperfections but being that I have travelled to dozens and dozens of countries around the globe, from 15 countries in Europe to India, Africa and New Zealand, as a self-taught artist, I am grateful for the opportunities and freedoms this nation has provided me. It goes without saying that I continued to…
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House Portraits with Christmas Decorations

House Portraits with Christmas Decorations

House Portraits, News
The joy of a festive Christmas house portrait Decorating your home for Christmas can have many meaningful and enjoyable benefits. You can keep the joy alive by capturing it in an original house portrait, just like these clients have done. Following are a few reasons why people love to decorate their homes for the holiday season and bring to life the joy of the holiday season! [caption id="attachment_49001" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Christmas house portrait, Lansing MI[/caption] Create a Festive Atmosphere Christmas decorations set the tone for the season and help transform your home into a cozy, magical space. I find that capturing the home at dusk in a house portrait is the best way to show it off. The twinkling lights, festive colors, and holiday scents create an environment that feels…
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House Portraits on the Water

House Portraits on the Water

House Portraits, News
Why we love watercolor house paintings by the sea or lake. People are often drawn to homes on the waterside because of the unique combination of beauty, tranquility, and lifestyle that waterfront living offers. Combine those elements in a beautiful home portrait and you have a piece of art that lives on it time, reminding you of all those happy memories. Whether it's an ocean, lake, river, or canal, these views create a sense of openness and connection to nature, which many people find calming and inspiring. The beauty of sunrise and sunset over water is often a major draw and can captured in an original custom house portrait. Here are some key reasons why people love these types of homes: [caption id="attachment_48827" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Michigan Lake summer house portrait[/caption]…
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Unique merchandise, only for my house portrait clients!

Unique merchandise, only for my house portrait clients!

News
First, I want to thank all my clients for your support of my original art. I consider it an honor to create paintings of beautiful and unique homes, and am proud to have the portrait of your home as part of my USA collection. As you know, I keep a library of high-resolution images of my paintings, should anyone request prints be made of their original house portrait. In addition to the prints you can order at any time, I am so excited to share with you a service I offer my clients. I am able to create images of your house portrait on a variety of mediums such as: Ornaments Tote bags Jigsaw puzzles T-shirts Magnets And more! You can also opt to have a print made of your original house portrait. I offer…
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Watercolor House Portraits Celebrating Fall

Watercolor House Portraits Celebrating Fall

House Portraits, News
Vibrant fall custom house portraits It is now officially fall, and while we hate to say goodbye to summer, there is so much magic to be found in Fall!  House  surrounded in golden color are so artistically inspiring. I stopped and thought about what I love most about Autumn and why it is so enchanting. I’ve also collected some of my original house portraits from all across the United States that truly celebrate the beauty of the season. This is what I came up with… I love the way the earth is transformed from lush green to golden shades of Autumn color. I love the falling leaves and the sound of crisp leaves rolling against the pavement. . . [caption id="attachment_36894" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Vibrant fall house portrait in Glencoe IL[/caption]   [caption…
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Inspiring Iconic American Architecture: The Brooklyn Bridge

Inspiring Iconic American Architecture: The Brooklyn Bridge

New Art, News
Once a month, I will focus on an iconic example of American architecture that has inspired me over the years. During a very recent trip to New York City, I was able to revisit one of my favorite spots in the country: the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a breathtaking blend of architecture, engineering, and history. Brooklyn Bridge, New York City About the Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most recognizable marvels of American engineering and is iconic worldwide. The bridge (opened in 1883) spans the distance between Manhattan and Brooklyn over the East River. The bridge’s suspension towers were built in the Gothic Revival style. They’re 278 feet tall and built from granite, limestone and cement. One of my favorite things to do when I’m in the…
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Family Homes turned into Original House Portraits to preserve those special memories . . .

Family Homes turned into Original House Portraits to preserve those special memories . . .

House Portraits, News
I hate to turn away a person who needs my help in capturing their family home and all those treasured memories. No matter how insurmountable the task is, my goal is to memorialize the house the way it looked when they, their siblings, or parents grew up there. A house portrait will be in the family for generations, so it's important to me to honor the true spirit of that special home. The circumstances are always different, but in many cases the home has now been sold to new owners and no longer looks anything like it did in the past. Or worse, the home, with all its happy family memories hidden within it walls, has been torn down with no trace. Often, the only existing photos are faded and…
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My most challenging house portraits . . . only possible with original hand-crafted art

My most challenging house portraits . . . only possible with original hand-crafted art

House Portraits, News
For over a decade, I’ve received requests for custom, hand-crafted, watercolor house portraits from across the USA. Some prospective clients are concerned that their home has too many obstacles that would deter me — like problematic landscaping, street construction, less-than-ideal weather, visible power lines, neighbors’ homes, etc. I assure them that I don’t let these stand in my way in depicting the home’s best view! While certain obstacles may keep you from taking the perfect photo of your house, that won’t stop me from painting a lovely portrait of your home. Take a look at this video and you will get the idea... Impossible portraits are only possible with hand-crafted original paintings What do I mean by this bold statement? Try changing a season, removing unsightly cars and make a generally…
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