11Jan 2024 by Leisa
Hand Painted Home Portraits of Los Angeles City

Hand Painted Home Portraits of Los Angeles City

House Portraits, New Art, News
Watercolor Custom House Portraits depicting 20 Los Angeles neighborhoods I spent many years in Los Angeles, America's fourth largest city, living in a variety of neighborhoods and always enjoying the eclectic architecture and diverse nature of the city. And I found there was certainly no shortage of amazing house portrait subjects in Los Angeles city -- in every architectural style imaginable.  The increasing congestion of the metropolis finally became unlivable for us and we left the City of Angels, however I took with me a treasure trove of happy memories. Going back decades, Los Angeles has always been a patchwork of neighborhood enclaves separated by highways, thoroughfares and plenty of hills. There are so many fascinating neighborhoods in L.A. proper that I am concentrating on a favorite that represents many…
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01Dec 2023 by Leisa
Hand Painted Watercolor House Portraits of Clayton, Missouri

Hand Painted Watercolor House Portraits of Clayton, Missouri

New Art, News
Welcome to my Newly Completed Clayton House Portrait Watercolor Series! Clayton, Missouri, a beautiful city in St. Louis County, is part of the greater St. Louis area.  I am particularly fond of Clayton due to its incredible wealth of house portrait subjects. Not only is there an eclectic mix of historic homes in terms of architectural styles, but they are all so uniquely different. The area has provided me with great artistic inspiration for my custom home portraits series. Architectural History of Clayton Clayton, Missouri, has a rich architectural history that reflects its development over time.  Early Settlement began in the 1800’s when Clayton was initially established as a rural area with farms and small settlements. The architectural style of this period often included simple vernacular structures, reflecting the rural…
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14Nov 2023 by Leisa
City of St. Louis House Portraits and Surrounding Cities

City of St. Louis House Portraits and Surrounding Cities

House Portraits, News
First Phase of House Portrait Series of Greater St. Louis Completed! [caption id="attachment_37213" align="aligncenter" width="2225"] Class St. Louis historic building: original painting of Spine Cafe and Book Store in the Benton Park neighborhood, St. Loui[/caption] Watercolor paintings covering 21 distinct areas Situated on the banks of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, St. Louis became the “Gateway to the West” in the 19th century for the adventurers and settlers following the path of Lewis and Clark into the new frontier. Early architecture in St. Louis had strong French influences along with Victorian, Italianate, Federal and Colonial styles. Tudor homes became popular in St. Louis in the early 1900s. This architectural mix is reflected in neighborhoods like Benton Park, Lafayette Square and Carondelet. I can truly say that the the residents in this…
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07Nov 2023 by Leisa
Lake Bluff Illinois House Portrait Collection

Lake Bluff Illinois House Portrait Collection

News
The first of my custom house portraits portraying homes in Lake Bluff IL. I really enjoyed wandering through Lake Bluff and viewing the eclectic mix of homes there.  Lake Bluff reminded me of a typical New England village with its old-fashioned corner store and interesting boutique stores, hotels and restaurants. Additionally, one can find a wonderful array of shingled historic home right in heart of Old Town Lake Bluff. As you can see here, I  selected a number of interesting homes to create pen and watercolor house portraits of and start building my Lake Bluff hand-painted watercolor house portraits series. [caption id="attachment_37116" align="aligncenter" width="988"] Queen Anne watercolor house portrait found on Sunrise Ave, Lake Bluff[/caption] [caption id="attachment_37111" align="aligncenter" width="1375"] Lake Bluff Victorian style watercolor painting on E. North Ave, Lake…
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01Nov 2023 by Leisa
Custom Watercolor House Portraits of Historic Illinois

Custom Watercolor House Portraits of Historic Illinois

House Portraits, News
Illinois architecture captured in my hand-painted house portraits  The “Prairie State” of Illinois runs from urban in the north to rural in the south, and this diversity extends to Illinois’ architecture. The most obvious examples of Illinois' architectural variety can be found in the state's largest city -- Chicago. After the Chicago Fire of 1871, the city went on to influence the nation with its architectural innovation and originality. The  heritage of Illinois found in their historic homes and buildings  Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, achieved statehood in 1818. Its largest and most populous city, Chicago, became a booming metropolis due to its prime location on Lake Michigan and connection to eastern ports via the Erie Canal. In the second half of the 19th century, the need for workers in…
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22Oct 2023 by Leisa
Tour of Historic Ste. Genevieve: the Earliest Beginnings of Missouri

Tour of Historic Ste. Genevieve: the Earliest Beginnings of Missouri

Historic Perservation, News
Last month I was thrilled to be invited by a board member of the French Colonial America organization to tour three of the historic properties it owns and operates in the Centre for French Colonial Life Museum Campus in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri.  This unique, historical museum site consists of four historic houses as well as an education and exhibits facility and it is dedicated to preserving and promoting French and Creole Culture and History of the Mississippi Valley during the Colonial Period. Ste. Genevieve is Missouri’s oldest permanent French European settlement. The village of Ste. Geneviève was settled by Canadians around 1735 on the west bank of the Mississippi River about two miles south of its present location. It was one of several important French communities forming a region known as…
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28Sep 2023 by Leisa

Hand-crafted House Portrait Closing Gifts

News
What meaningful gift can you give to a treasured client who has virtually everything money can buy?   It would have to be something totally unique and one of a kind. How about something that is hand-drawn and painted, that stirs happy emotion whenever they view it? When it comes to real estate closing gifts, what better way to keep you on your client’s mind for future referral and repeat real estate business than a tastefully presented 100% original work of art that will proudly hang on your client’s wall to be viewed and enjoyed each and every day throughout the coming years and decades? Please enjoy this short video to see what my realtor clients have to say about the house portraits I have created for them as special closing…
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10Sep 2023 by Leisa
The love of front porches and watercolor porch paintings

The love of front porches and watercolor porch paintings

House Portraits, News
Watercolor portrait of a welcoming porch. . . One of the things I love most when I create watercolor paintings of homes, is to include welcoming front porches. I always take the time to add the unique details of each porch: the furniture, the bird feeder, wind chimes and more. From time to time, I am also asked to create commissioned watercolor porch paintings. If you investigate the past, front porches were the most welcoming feature of homes for more than 150 years – whether grand wrap-around verandas, second-floor balconies or simple covered sitting and resting spaces. They were also the treasured gathering place for families and friends. Way back in the early 1800’s, Andrew Jackson Downing – who was thought to be one of the founders of American landscape…
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16Aug 2023 by Leisa
Summer Gardens and House Portrait Give-Away!

Summer Gardens and House Portrait Give-Away!

House Portraits, News
While summer color fades. . .  a summer house portrait lasts a lifetime We enjoy life's garden. Life is the flower for which love is the honey.                                                                                         -- Victor Hugo  I hope you are enjoying the magic of this time of warmth, color and growth. Being that I have now painted portraits of homes and historic buidings in every state across the USA, I can say that a pretty garden, lush trees and and lovely landscapng, makes all the difference when creating a portait of a…
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10Jul 2023 by Leisa
Visit my new sunroom studio in historic Benton Park!

Visit my new sunroom studio in historic Benton Park!

News
Open Studio THIS SUNDAY, JULY 16TH: 1 - 4 PM   ---  2915 Missouri Ave, St. Louis * Iconic St. Louis paintings and my Love Me Don’t Leave Me series of STL abandoned buildings on display * Slide show of my greater St. Louis house portrait collection (covering 30 areas and counting. . .) * All are welcome! Relaxed and causal affair. Light refreshments served. Any questions: email leisa@leisacollins.com or call (703) 598-7360
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