09Apr 2025 by Leisa
House Portraits Old Town Alexandria VA

House Portraits Old Town Alexandria VA

Historic Preservation, House Portraits, News
Pen and Watercolor Old Town Home Memories Old Town Alexandria, has always been a special place for me as it is where I lived and launched my art career 15 years ago.   Due to the success of my national coffee table book which includes portraits of homes and historic buildings in all 50 states, I am now focusing on creating more work to include in an art book that features my portraits of Alexandria with emphasis on Old Town, the historic hub of the area. Known for its rich history and beautifully preserved architecture,  some of the buildings in Old Town date back to the  late 18th century. Lee/Fenall House: I just completed this protrait of the Lee-Fendall House, which was built in 1784. General Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee,…
Read More
28Mar 2025 by Leisa
Announcing upcoming Art Show!

Announcing upcoming Art Show!

New Art, News
I am excited to announce our upcoming annual art show "Artists Amongst Us", being held right in my St. Louis neighborhood of Benton Park on Saturday April 26 1 - 6 pm. Its a pop-up and will once more feature the Group of 4 Artists, myself, Scott Bean, Phyllis Terry Friedman and Don Morgan, along with guest artists who are also live in Benton Park. They are Jeff Lockheed, Phil Jarvi and Jeff Gusdorf. I encourage anyone who lives in the area to drop by. It's going to be a good one!
Read More
17Mar 2025 by Leisa
House portrait immortalizes home destroyed by Hurricane Helene

House portrait immortalizes home destroyed by Hurricane Helene

House Portraits, News
Rebuilding one's home after tragedy. . . On September 26, 2024, as the light began to fade, the fury of Hurricane Helene was intensifying. Julie stubbornly remained in her home, anxiously looking out the window but ignoring orders to evacuate; clinging to the hope that her sturdy brick ranch home and beautiful gardens would somehow withstand anything Helene could give out. At 9 pm, sparks started flying off the transformers and suddenly, as if released from a dam, water began gushing down W. Davis Blvd, transforming the normally idyllic treelined street on Davis Islands, Tampa, into a surging river. [caption id="attachment_50934" align="alignleft" width="470"] Julie's engulfed home on Davis Islands, Tampa[/caption] Julie knew it was time to go. She collected her most prized possessions and hurriedly left 110 W. Davis Blvd,…
Read More
27Feb 2025 by Leisa
Personalized House Portrait Print Service for My Clients

Personalized House Portrait Print Service for My Clients

House Portraits, News
How do I make prints of my original house portrait? Today another client contacted me today and asked what has become a commonly asked question. . . “What is the best way to make prints of the portrait of my house? I want to give a nice framed print to my son who is going off to college." I thought that everyone knew that I have a fabulous way of doing this!  But obviously, that is not the case or I wouldn’t get so many pleas for help from my clients. So I wanted to remind you of this specialized client service that I offer.  This is something that I set up a couple of years ago especially for you.  It is simple, fast, very reasonably priced, and best of…
Read More
26Feb 2025 by Leisa
Crumbling Church becomes Vibrant Community Art Center

Crumbling Church becomes Vibrant Community Art Center

Historic Preservation, News
This is the story of an old building in Grand Rapids Michigan, that is now being transformed and restored to its former glory. A couple of months ago, while in Grand Rapids we stopped in to see the progress being made on a historic preservation project that is very near and dear to my heart.  This beautiful 150-year-old church at Hermitage at Diamond, in the heart of Grand Rapids, was once a forlorn and dilapidated structure. That's when we lived a few blocks away in Grand Rapids. And that was before community leader, preservationist and friend, Carol Moore, took on the project.  She has rescued a number of landmark buildings in the area over the last three decades and this is her most ambitious project to date. She is currently…
Read More
19Feb 2025 by Leisa
Four homes depicted in house portraits — showing all four seasons

Four homes depicted in house portraits — showing all four seasons

House Portraits, News
The beauty of house portraits across the four seasons can be truly captivating, as each season brings out different characteristics of the home and its surroundings. An original watercolor house portrait in each season can capture the essence of the environment and evoke a unique atmosphere. I often receive requests from my clients to capture their home in all seasons to show the home’s full personality and bring to mind all the happy memories and activites which match the different times of the year. Some of my clients have given a seasonal painting to each one of their children. Here are four examples of commissioned house portraits in all all seasons, along with four descriptions of what I love most about each successive season. Winter Winter house portraits evoke a…
Read More
13Feb 2025 by Leisa
Home Is Where The Heart Is. . . House Portrait Valentine Gift

Home Is Where The Heart Is. . . House Portrait Valentine Gift

News
A Valentine's Day gift for my clients only...  Is there such a thing as having a love affair with one's home? I think so.  Let's face it, our homes are the sanctuary where we can truly be ourselves. Having a love affair with your home is about a deep, emotional connection that makes you feel safe, comforted, and at peace. It's like a relationship that evolves over time. It begins with infatuation when you find it, grows through shared experiences, and becomes a lasting bond that withstands the test of time. Nearly all of you receiving my Valentine's Day Client gift (sent by email) own one of my hand-crafted original custom house portraits of your own home or the home of someone you love. Not only that, your home is…
Read More
03Feb 2025 by Leisa
House Portraits: The Realtor Gift that Keeps on Giving . . .

House Portraits: The Realtor Gift that Keeps on Giving . . .

House Portraits, News, Realtor Gifts
An extrodinary realtor with her own client House Portrait collection! I would like to introduce you to a wonderful realtor client called Paige Rhodes. I first met Paige in 2013 when we both lived in Alexandria Virginia, which is where I launched my art career. Paige wasn't even a realtor then. We both moved on and life marched forward. My husband and I moved to the west coast and beyond and Paige and her family moved to Daniel Island, close to Charleston in South Carolina. From my humble beginnings in Old Town Alexandria, I went on to create house portraits and paintings of historic buildings in every state across the USA, and released my coffee table book in 2021 which documents this journey.  Paige went on to become a top-selling realtor…
Read More
30Jan 2025 by Leisa
My latest project to honor American homes

My latest project to honor American homes

News
Based on the success of my national coffee table book, entitled Hand Painted Homes: An Artist’s Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America, I am proud to announce that I have now launched the next phase of my awareness campaign to stop wanton architectural destruction before it is too late. While my national book covered the overall scene, featuring homes and historic buildings in all 50 states,  I have now began work on a series of art books which will give a more in-depth look at the “fascinating and eclectic mix of architectural residential styles that can be found in cities such as Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, Tampa and Alexandria VA. As with my national book, the books will feature my original paintings and include architectural history about each area. Most…
Read More
27Jan 2025 by Leisa
House Portraits of Lost Homes: In Memoriam

House Portraits of Lost Homes: In Memoriam

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News
  I have long campaigned against the loss of historic homes to the dreaded wrecking ball, however over the years -- and especially within the last year -- I have had many requests for commissioned house portraits to memorialize homes that have been destroyed due to natural disaster.  The horror of losing one’s home in disasters like fires, hurricanes, or flooding is both profound and multifaceted, leaving physical, emotional, and psychological scars. A home is not just a structure—it represents safety, stability, and personal identity. The loss of it can be devastating in so many ways. As I wrote this, the ravaging wild-fires in the Los Angeles area are still not fully contained, and thousands of Angelenos remain on edge, while thousands more are facing the horrifying aftermath of lost…
Read More