News Archives

22Jul 2021 by Leisa

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…

20Jul 2021 by Leisa

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:…

12Jul 2021 by Leisa

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…

30Jun 2021 by Leisa

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…

21Jun 2021 by Leisa

Community Event – Grand Rapids Residents Welcome!

News

Hope to see you there! Leisa

25May 2021 by Leisa

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…

24Apr 2021 by Leisa

Homes of Huntington Woods, MI – House Portrait Collection

House Portraits, News

House Portrait Collection of Huntington Woods, Michigan! Today I'd like to introduce my collection of hand-painted homes in the neighborhood of Huntington Woods, MI. Just west of Royal Oak, this little city has an interesting history all it's own, including a number of homes built in the early 1800's that are still standing to this day. Demonstrating immense pride in their architectural history, Huntington Woods residents helped form the city into a Historic District in 2004 so as to protect the historic character of the delightful homes that can be found in the area. I also find it fascinating to learn about the history of an area. Huntington Woods served as a suburban escape from urban Detroit for many top white collar workers. By 1872, a hotel was built on…

06Apr 2021 by Leisa

Homes of Royal Oak, MI – House Portrait Collection

House Portraits, News

House Portrait Collection of Royal Oak, Michigan! I've painted homes from quite a number of Michigan communities and Royal Oak is right up there on my list of favorites! This east-side gem covers only about 12 square miles, but this little suburb of Detroit is bursting with history. I was pleased to see another town in this state be so passionate about preserving their historic architecture. This Royal Oak House Portrait Collection captures the tedious and preservative nature of the town's homeowners and public officials! Among the early settlers to the area (who were mostly farmers) was a man named Orson Starr. He would go on to become the township’s first manufacturer, most known for his production of cowbells. To this day, the Greek-Revival style home he built for himself…

15Mar 2021 by Leisa

Homes of Birmingham, MI – House Portrait Collection

House Portraits, News

House Portrait Collection of Birmingham, Michigan! My work has taken me to all corners of the U.S.., but this interesting collection is right here in my current state of residence; Michigan. I always find it fascinating to find out about the history of a city. It all started in 1818, when a few parcels of land were purchased that would become the beautiful suburb of Birmingham. Located just 20 miles northwest of Detroit, this quaint city was soon a hotspot for Detroit commuters once the automobile boom hit in 1933. Still filled with small town charm, Birmingham has a gorgeous array of historic and modern homes that I've taken a delight in painting. The residents of the city take great pride in the history of their architecture, as shown in…

07Mar 2021 by Leisa

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…