Category: News

Del Ray: Where Main Street Still Exists Another charming and historic neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia where we spent a lot of time is The Del Ray area. It was a quick bike ride from where we lived in Old Town and quickly became one of our favorite spots. The area is host to an endless array of bungalow homes in every size, color and form. Nearly every bungalow has a sizable front porch and in warmer weather there are always people sitting on them. It is common to be invited--even as a perfect stranger --onto a porch for a chat. In Del Ray, kids still play baseball on the streets. The history of Del Ray neighborhood began in the early 19th century.  In 1894 rail lines started to be laid…

Old Town Alexandria  . . .  Where my journey began In 2009, my husband and I left California and embarked on a road trip across America to find a new place to settle. When we were near Washington D.C., we took a wrong turn and found ourselves in an enchanting historic district called Old Town Alexandria. It was love at  first sight and we both agreed immediately that it would be our new home. The third floor of the 1789 Federal style building (left) is where we lived and I had my studio. My passion was always historic architecture and Old Town proved to be the perfect spot to re-launch my art career. We lived in Old Town Alexandria for some years and I will always have a special attachment…

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:…

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…

Hope to see you there! Leisa