28Mar 2020 by Leisa
Welcome Spring!

Welcome Spring!

House Portraits
Spring has sprung! Actually this portrait was created from photos I took last bring when in Minneapolis MN.  Just love the welcoming front garden.  I would call it free-hand sculptured landscaping. Hey, I just made up a new term! This beautiful Victorian farm house style home really stood out from the crowd however. The original painting will shortly be hanging inside this home. The homeowner was kind enough to give me some info about the home which is below. [caption id="attachment_15890" align="aligncenter" width="3801"] This historic beauty has stood in this location in Minneapolis MN for over a hundred years.[/caption] This interesting snippet is directly from the homeowner: "The home was built in 1903, and the person who restored it (in 2007) did an incredible job between keeping the charm of…
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26Mar 2020 by Leisa
Nashville Homes Series!

Nashville Homes Series!

House Portraits, News
Georgian, Craftsman Homes, Bungalows, Tudors, Colonials, Cape Cods, Ranch style, and more in my Nashville House Portrait collection. Nashville is such a fun and vibrant city and its architecture is just as interesting.  Commonly known as "the Music City",  Nashville is an icon in American culture. Its where talented artists migrate for a chance to break into the industry and achieve their dreams.  With architectural gems like the Ryman Auditorium and Belmont Mansion , Nashville also has a rich history and over the decades it has attracted artists of all genres.  Though I did bring my guitar, my aspiration was to find some architectural stars for my Nashville home portrait series. One of the first architectural icons I visited in Nashville was the Replica of the Parthenon in Greece. The…
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26Mar 2020 by Leisa
Alameda Neighborhood in Portland, House Portrait Series

Alameda Neighborhood in Portland, House Portrait Series

House Portraits, News
One of my favorite Portland Neighborhoods, Alameda has it all! I have always enjoyed spending time in Portland.  Its reputation of being quirky, cool, weird and green all at the same time, makes life very interesting. Its architecture follows the same model.  And while there is a myriad of unique neighborhoods in Portland, I isolated around a dozen favorites and focused on those for my series of historic Portland house portraits. I am proud to include homes in the Alameda neighborhood as part of my 100 Historic Homes of Portland Collection. Alameda has a feast of architectural styles and well preserved and maintained historic homes and like many of my best-loved areas, it has beautiful tree-lined streets and colorful gardens. Alameda sits right next to the stunning Wilshire Park and…
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25Feb 2020 by Leisa
San Antonio House Portrait Collection

San Antonio House Portrait Collection

House Portraits, News
Watercolor Paintings in San Antonio When I ventured into San Antonio for the first time while touring Texas I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer diversity and impressive array of house portrait styles. I guess I was expecting to see many more Spanish style homes but I found that the Greater San Antonio area has it all! In studying up more, I learned that architecture in San Antonio comes from a wide variety of sources. While it is true that many of the city's homes reflect Texas' Spanish and Mexican roots; with some influence from French builders, rapid growth in the city since the mid twentieth century has led to a fairly wide variety of interesting contemporary architectural buildings as well.  San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the U.S. and the 2nd largest…
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17Feb 2020 by Leisa
Crepe Myrtle Trees and a House Portrait in Savannah GA

Crepe Myrtle Trees and a House Portrait in Savannah GA

House Portraits
Vibrant summer color of Crepe Myrtle Trees In the last 10 years I have created around 2500 portraits of homes and historic buildings in all 50 states. And the one summer element that never fails to disappoint, due to its wonderful color, are Crepe Myrtles.  No  matter where in the country I find myself, I have to say that there are always Crepe Mrytles to welcome me. This lovely home in Savannah, Georgia, is a classic example.  It sits right by the water and is actually the first home of a  very nice newly wed couple. The wife is giving it as a surprise Valentine's gift to her husband!  I chose this home to be part of my Savannah series as I feel it is a tastefully designed new built…
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15Feb 2020 by Leisa
House Portrait – from Cold Winter to Vibrant Summer

House Portrait – from Cold Winter to Vibrant Summer

House Portraits
Omaha Home as I saw it last summer... Last summer I was driving through a lovely tree-lined street in Omaha and a classic brick Colonial Revival home caught my eye. It stood out as it was somewhat elevated and long layers of brick stairs led up to a cheerful red door -- which made it even more welcoming. The home attracted me as it was a study in contrasts, the rich warmth of the brick against crisp white trim and black shutters. I decided to make this home part of my Omaha house portrait series. I wondered what was behind those interesting dormer windows. Were they bedrooms, a study perhaps or as is sometimes the case, just storage. I couldn't help thinking that the space would probably make a wonderful…
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14Feb 2020 by Leisa
Columbus Ohio House Portrait – a lovingly maintained historic home

Columbus Ohio House Portrait – a lovingly maintained historic home

House Portraits, News
Columbus, a preservation conscious city Over the last 10 years, I have travelled to every state in the USA and as I now embark on my new series of paintings of Columbus homes, I am finding a wonderful mix of architectural styles. From welcoming Craftsmen homes, to Victorians and Queen Anns, to elegant Tudors, Colonial Revivals, Italianate styles, Ranch homes and more, Columbus has it all!  I am also seeing a general trend in the city where there is an increased awareness regards the need to preserve and protect older homes and buildings. My own experience regarding historic preservation, after traveling 50,000 miles across the USA,  is that it is the homeowner who is the unsung hero in terms of investing their time, efforts and finance into lovingly restoring and…
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12Feb 2020 by Leisa
The Beauty of a Winter House Portrait

The Beauty of a Winter House Portrait

House Portraits
Snowy magic in Illinois and a welcoming home in watercolor [caption id="attachment_14914" align="aligncenter" width="3714"] Home in the snow in Inverness, IL[/caption] Living in Michigan as I am currently, I sometimes curse the lack of mobility that winter brings.  The snow ploys, salt, having to pry ice off the care, snow shoveling and not to mention the arctic temperatures! As an artist I remind myself that winter is actually a beautiful aesthetic time of year. Snow is a like a blanket of white magic that descends on us, quietly and peacefully. It covers ugliness and even the most dilapidated homes can look  lovely, especially with warm light in the windows. Winter is your chance to wear your favorite sweaters and hat and scarf sets. It a time for cosy fires and…
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02Feb 2020 by Leisa
Completion of my Historic Chicago House Portrait Series!

Completion of my Historic Chicago House Portrait Series!

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News
Chicago Architecture is one of a kind! I am proud to display these paintings of my Chicago Historic House Portrait Collection. It is a well known fact that the architecture of Chicago has influenced and reflected upon the history of American architecture.  Chicago's imaginative architecture displays the city's fascinating history and its multicultural heritage.  It features a variety of styles designed by many prominent architects. Sadly, in the downtown area, most structures were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 (the most famous exception being the Water Tower), therefore Chicago buildings are mainly noted for their originality. My series of paintings goes beyond the downtown area and its towering skyscrapers. I wandered through the vibrant neighborhoods and drove down leafy residential streets and soon discovered why Chicago uniqueness is…
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