Category: House Portraits

MCR Construction – the dream builders . . . I was lucky enough to meet Mark and Lori Rolph, the owners of this amazing and creative design and construction company through  -- you guessed it – their home!  Situated on a quiet residential street in Burbank, CA, I was lured by its uniqueness and charm – a mix between a French chateau and a fairyland gingerbread house that one might expect to find in the middle of the Black Forest.  I immediately decided to add this to my Burbank House Portrait series. [caption id="attachment_6277" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Verdugo Ave, Burbank[/caption] Shortly after its completion Mark and Lori came to my studio and then invited me for a tour of their home.  They also shared its history and some before and after…

My San Francisco architectural series debut! Over the years I have always enjoyed my time in San Francisco. What an architectural feast!  For one thing it is a Sister City to my hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, so that's a big plus.  Like Auckland a bridge spans across the city and harbor views, glistening water and flaming sunsets abound.  Both cities are very hilly which makes for interesting architecture, with tall elegant Victorian homes jutting out from narrow sloping streets. As always, I have chosen an eclectic mix of homes, and not only historic. SF's modern architecture is also very interesting. I am in progress on many more subjects but wanted to share some of my first homes with you. [caption id="attachment_6272" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Steiner St, San Francisco[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6255"…

We see homes from the front all the time . . . but what do they look like from the back? The owners of these house portrait subjects are clients of mine who commissioned me to create pen and waters that depict both the front and back views of their homes so they are able to represent their home as a pair rather than just one lonely painting. This first one is in Arcadia, California. It was an nondescript one story ranch home when the owners purchased it a couple of decades ago. [caption id="attachment_6111" align="aligncenter" width="738"] South Santa Anita Ave, Arcadia CA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6112" align="aligncenter" width="738"] The back of the home with large open windows and doors.[/caption] This elegant colonial home is in Los Angeles. [caption id="attachment_6110" align="aligncenter" width="755"]…

Spring has truly arrived! Look at these gorgeous colorful watercolor home paintings.  Spring has to be my favorite season. Lots of new life and growth.  Here are two examples in Kensington, Maryland. [caption id="attachment_5995" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Elegant home in Kensington MD[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5996" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Another Kensington Beauty. This time a Victorian[/caption] Another home in Maryland, tucked away in lush tree-filled Bethesda. [caption id="attachment_5997" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Bethesda Maryland home[/caption] In the residential areas in DC I have found some true treasures. This is one of them.  A English style cottage that I estimate was built in the 1930's.  Look for the bird in this one. [caption id="attachment_5998" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Cute Cottage in Washington DC[/caption] Moving over to the west coast, there is a different kind of Spring growth. A California…

My first Most Art Inspiring House Portrait Contest and there will be more! It is my way of giving back to home owners who put so much time, money and love into making theirs homes beautiful.  They make my job so enjoyable!  The joy of doing original art is that every home is totally unique and therefore every final Leisa Collins Art portrait is also one of its kind. And the winner of the May 2015 Most Art Inspiring House Portrait Contest is . . . Jorie and Charley Vandenberg and their beautiful home in Ada, Michigan! [caption id="attachment_5945" align="aligncenter" width="700"] The winning home in Ada, Michigan![/caption] Thank you to the contestants. here are some of them below. The final voting results were very close See the other entries on…

The art of  the porch and outdoor patio ... One thing I love about living in South Pasadena is the interesting array of Craftsman and bungalow homes with their notably distinctive front porch design features. My love for porches further increased when my husband Bruce and I became familiar with a website called  Front Porch Ideas and More.  We also quickly became friends with its creators, Mary and Dave Morris, who we met for the first time last week when they came out to Los Angeles from their home in Nashville TN  to see family. [caption id="attachment_5925" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Dave and Mary with me and Bruce[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5926" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Mary and me[/caption] We had a really enjoyable time, chatting over lunch, and hanging out on our patio. Bruce and…

The story of the Commissioned Architectural Painting  A young couple in Georgetown DC decided that wanted me to create a large and vibrant painting of their house and street to hang on a brick feature wall in their home. The first step was the planning stage to work out the best angle and composition. [caption id="attachment_5814" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A rough sketch of the general lay out is the first step[/caption] Here is the main photo that was used, minus the cars of course! Love the colors of these homes. Georgetown, besides being one of the most historic neighborhoods in DC, it is also extremely popular as a tourist site and hang-out for just about anyone.  It's hard to believe that after WWI Georgetown became one of the worst slums in…

Watercolor home portraits for your enjoyment... Another fun and interesting week in the land of architectural art and unique homes. We'll start with the west coast. This is stately Spanish home is one of the first in my Valley Village house Portrait series.  Valley Village is a lovely neighborhood in the North Hollywood area. [caption id="attachment_5805" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Interesting Spanish home in Valley Village N. Hollywood[/caption] Now take a look at this magical home in Glendale. I chose this one as it reminds me of a fairy tail home with some wild English garden influences. And you should see the back of home.  There is more beautiful garden along with a fully outfitted "English Pub" called "The Edison.  I plan to go and take photos soon and will do a…

Win a house portrait of your home -- worth $500! As a homeowner myself, I know that there are a lot of expenses involved in keeping your home looking beautiful and sometimes purchasing a portrait of your house is not on the top of your priorities! I have decided to start a tradition to give back to homeowners of art inspiring homes. Every 6 months I will run a contest where the winner will receive a FREE pen and watercolor painting of their home as a thank you for having an art inspiring home!  The value of this painting is $500! Here's what you have to do to enter. 1. Select an existing photo of your home.  Or alternately walk outside and take a photo of it.  2. Go to…

To celebrate spring I am hereby announcing my Spring Sale!  That's 20% off any commissioned house portrait.   You may want to capture your gorgeous spring blooms in a second "spring portrait" of your home that can hang alongside your current painting or perhaps you have a house portrait gift idea for a friend or family member. Now is the time! Meanwhile, please enjoy some of my favorite spring homes! Forest St, Rockville MD   Del Ray, Alexandria, VA Kensington, MD   Here's to a lovely spring!  Leisa