Category: House Portraits

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Power of Word of Mouth . . . Since I began capturing the personalities of architectural subjects in pen and watercolor a decade ago, I have truly come to appreciate the power of word of mouth. Nothing makes we prouder to getting referrals from my clients and I would like to thank all of you who have helped spread the word about my work. As you know, my focus has been on architectural paintings of homes and historic buildings in all 50 states across the USA, and indeed my coffee table book, Hand Painted Homes: An Artist’s Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America, documents that story. However, I realized the other day that through word of mouth alone, I have now created over 20 commissioned paintings of interesting homes…