Historic Perservation Archives

11Apr 2023 by Leisa

Latest painting in my Abandoned Building Series

Introducing the 4th in my Love Me Don't Leave Me Series entitled "Hyde Park Elegance" Tucked away on Breman Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of St. Louis, this elegant Victorian looks forelorny across a sea of lush greens. Today the park is still beautiful but once it was the talk of the town with its gazebo, fountain, stocked lake, service building and playgrounds. The wealthy and elite owned these fine houses right on the park, and this home, with its welcoming porch, was one of the earliest and without doubt one of the finest. [caption id="attachment_34372" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Love Me Don't Leave Me entitled "Hyde Park Elegance"[/caption] So many stories and images flash before me as I look at her old tired bones, imagining those who lived and loved…

04Apr 2023 by Leisa

A Greek Revival treasure saved from demolition in the final hour

Historic Perservation, New Art, News

One of the gems of St. Louis architecture I have been concentrating lately on my Love Me Don’t Leave Me series in order to shine the light on the plight of abandoned buildings, many of which are now sadly teetering on the brink of final death and destruction. However, I decided I needed a break to put my attention onto creating a painting of a stunning historic building that instead has a happy ending. It was saved from demolition in the final hour, and now, 60 years later it serves as a house museum in St. Louis. Allow me to introduce to you my latest painting, the Chatillon-DeMenil House, one of the gems of St. Louis architecture! [caption id="attachment_34298" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Chatillon-DeMenil House[/caption] Although the Chatillon-DeMenil House sits right in…

03Apr 2023 by Leisa

Introducing another piece in my abandoned building series

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, New Art, News

Happy Spring my friends! It is no secret that I am passionate about saving historic buildings. I consider them works of art and after all, architecture is about people. Our built history is created by people and it is people that give life to brick and mortar. Instead, one of the key reasons I created my coffee table book, Hand Painted Homes - An Artist's Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America, (which I released in 2021) was to raise awareness of the fact that hundreds of historic homes and buildings are being torn down every day in this country. I decided to document beautiful vintage structures before it was too late. Sadly, many of the homes that I feature in my book, no longer stand today. Last August I moved…

14Feb 2023 by Leisa

The Despair of Abandoned Homes

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, New Art, News

Happy Valentine’s Day friends! It is no secret that I have a love affair with saving historic buildings. I consider them works of art and after all, architecture is about people. Our built history is created by people and it is people that give brick and mortar life. I moved to St. Louis seven months ago knowing that one of the biggest problems confronting this city is abandoned homes and buildings. And while the city and preservation advocates have worked diligently over the years to improve this situation, today out of a total of 129,500 properties, a whopping 25,000 are considered vacant and abandoned. As I drive around the city, it breaks my heart to see crumbling and discarded buildings, however their beauty and form can still be seen behind…

16Jan 2023 by Leisa

My Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Historic Perservation, New Art, News

The birth home of a truly great American Last year, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day, I painted this portrait of the Atlanta, Georgia home where the great orator, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and leader of the American civil rights movement was born. I wanted to pay my respect and celebrate his life and legacy the best way I know how — with my paintbrush. Martin Luther King Jr. (originally named Michael Jr.) was born on the second floor of this clapboard Victorian house on January 15, 1929, and he lived there for the first twelve years of his life. His home was a happy one, and he once said, “I grew up in a family where love was central and where lovely relationships were ever present.” Located…

01Dec 2022 by Leisa

The Joy of Living in a Historic Neighborhood

Historic Perservation, Historic Preservation, New Art, News

Painting a local bookstore and cafe. Just two blocks away from our home, sitting right on the edge of Benton Park with a tranquil view of the lake from the outdoor patio, is Spine Bookstore and Café. [caption id="attachment_32691" align="aligncenter" width="1483"] The latest painting in my Benton Park neighborhood series, Spine Bookstore & Cafe[/caption] I has provided a nice walkable respite for me when I need a break – and a good coffee. One can often find the owner, Mark Pannebecker, behind the bar and he is always good for a yarn and a laugh. In the evenings, Spine offers open mic, live music, book readings and poetry and you can grab a beer, wine or one of their cocktail specials. In fact, Spine was voted Best Indy Bookstore…

26Oct 2022 by Leisa

Featuring a Historic Preservation Hero!

Historic Perservation, Historic Preservation, News

Highlighting the woman behind the transformation of a historic Grand Rapids MI Church into a community art center [caption id="attachment_30664" align="alignright" width="491"] The painting of what will become a vibrant art center on Hermitage and Diamond in the East Hills neighborhood[/caption] This is a project I am honored to be involved in: the ongoing transformation of a once vacant and crumbling historic church which is now being turned into a vibrant art center that the entire Grand Rapids community can enjoy. Just over a year ago, I created this painting of the church at 1009 Hermitage St SE in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids, in support of the renovation efforts. My painting depicts how the church will look when fully completed, freshly painted, a new roof and restored windows…

13Sep 2022 by Leisa

A Happy Ever After Story of a Home. . .

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News

From train wreck to grand painted lady! I get to meet a lot of great houses with my occupation, but I also have the pleasure of meeting many wonderful homeowners. This is one such homeowner in Wilmette, Illinois. The beginning of their “once upon a time’ story was July 7, 1995, when Tim and his wife Pam took on a dilapidated Victorian built in 1893. The home had unfortunately been stripped of virtually all its charming Victorian “gingerbread” features. And like others who tackle such a herculean task, the couple battled through whatever was thrown at them to make their home beautiful once more – while bringing up a family at the same time. Here's how their home looked when they purchased it. [caption id="attachment_31468" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The forlorn looking…

26Aug 2022 by Leisa

Meet me in St. Louis … the house that was

Historic Perservation, News

The sad demise of a historic beauty . . . Most of us know the famous song, "Meet me in St. Louis" sung by Judy Garland. It's the theme song of the movie of the same title which was released in 1945. Being that I am now here in St. Louis, I decided I had it was time to get in the swing of things so I watched this old classic. It's hard to imagine life actually being the way it is depicted, but never-the-less it was certainly entertaining. The movie is based on author Sally Benson's collection of short stories which she wrote for The New Yorker. Benson's maiden name was Smith, and she wrote about her life on Kensington Avenue, St. Louis in the late 1800s and early 1900s.…

26Jul 2022 by Leisa

Update: Historic Grand Rapids Church Transforming into Art Center

Historic Perservation, Historic Preservation, News

This is a project I am honored to be involved in: the ongoing transformation of a once vacant and crumbling historic church which is now being turned into a vibrant art center that the entire Grand Rapids community can enjoy. Just over a year ago, I created this painting of the church at 1009 Hermitage St SE in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids, in support of the renovation efforts. My painting depicts how the church will look when fully completed, freshly painted, a new roof and restored windows with all the original stained glass beauty fully in tact once more. At the time I lived only a few blocks away from the church. A couple of weeks ago, a Grand Rapids friend asked me how the project is coming…