11Apr 2022 by Leisa
A dog rescued from death’s door, a forever home and a house portrait…

A dog rescued from death’s door, a forever home and a house portrait…

House Portraits
Once upon a time, when I lived in California,  I spotted a beautiful Spanish home on Bel Aire Drive in Glendale, California. . . I decided it had to be Glendale House Portrait series. When the painting was close to completion,  as is always my policy, I left a note for the owner of the home and asked if she would like to view the original painting.  Little did I know who lived in this home or their touching rags to riches story. [caption id="attachment_6081" align="aligncenter" width="608"] Toni Bua's home on Bel Aire Dr, Glendale, CA[/caption] Homeowner, Toni Bua, answered with a resounding, "YES!"  She told me how much she loved "Casa Bua", her forever home, and how she recently became the proud "Mom" of Miley,  a white Husky who was found…
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10Apr 2022 by Leisa
First Paintings of Historic Homes in German Village, Columbus OH

First Paintings of Historic Homes in German Village, Columbus OH

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News
A trip through Columbus Ohio is never complete for my husband and me until we stop in and visit the charming town of German Village. It a historic neighborhood, situated just south of the city's downtown.  As the name suggests, it was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century.  At one time these immigrants totaled close to a third of the city's entire population. I am now well into a series of house portraits depicting some of my favorite homes in the area, as part of a series of 50 paintings of homes and historic buildings I have now created within the greater Columbus area. The city of Columbus has a fascinating history, but in this article I am concentrating on the earliest residential area in the…
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21Mar 2022 by Leisa
Stunning House Portrait Subjects: 12 points that make a home art inspiring!

Stunning House Portrait Subjects: 12 points that make a home art inspiring!

House Portraits, News
How many art inspiring points does your home have? I am lucky enough to receive new commission requests for house portraits every week, however I like to chose my own subjects as well and create collections of portraits that architecturally depict specific geographic areas.  From time to time the owners of these selected homes have asked how I came to choose their house.  I started thinking about this recently. I figured there’d be about a handful of art inspiring elements, but once I got into it I came up with 12!   I have listed these below along with examples some of my favorite portraits from around the country that I feel reflect particularly well one of the 12 individual points. (Click on any of the portraits below to make them larger.) The…
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27Feb 2022 by Leisa
Homes of Washington, D.C. – House Portrait Collection

Homes of Washington, D.C. – House Portrait Collection

House Portraits, News
House Portrait Collection of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.! The District of Columbia is one of the most historic area in all of the United States. The city abounds with Neoclassical buildings and monuments and along with Roman, Egyptian and Greek inspired architecture. Today we'll be taking a walk through the streets of Georgetown, Capital Hill Neighborhood and many other nooks of this historically abundant city. To quote an excerpt from my new book, "Hand Painted Homes": "Behind the monuments and stately institutions of Washington, D.C., there is a wealth of history in the architectural style of every home in and around the city. Having resided just a few miles south of the D.C. area, I enjoyed exploring the historic heritage of the city and building my collection of paintings representing…
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29Nov 2021 by Leisa
Traveling through Scenic West Virginia. . .

Traveling through Scenic West Virginia. . .

House Portraits, Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award, News
The most abandoned state in the nation  . . .and the restoration of a 200-year-old stone home. West Virginia is one of the nation’s most scenic states, known for beautiful wooded mountains and dramatic falling rivers. The state is also known for Civil War action and coal mining. It is home to grand resorts, a Cass Gilbert designed capitol and gorgeous mansions built during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. West Virginia was originally part of the Virginia Colony established by England in 1606. In 1607 the first settlement of Jamestown was formed and pioneers arrived to make their home in eastern Virginia. West Virginia, however, remained the frontier for some time and West Virginians retain that resilient pioneer spirit today. Abandoned Buildings of West Virginia But despite its…
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11Nov 2021 by Leisa
Honoring our Veterans

Honoring our Veterans

House Portraits, News
Grateful to those who served. . . Today is Veterans Day and I would like to show my support for our troops through this painting. The yellow ribbons are to thank them for their service and to let them know we appreciate them. On this day we honor our veterans, who fought for our freedoms and risked their lives in doing so. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or deceased—but most importantly, it is a day to give thanks to living veterans who honorably served their country during war or peacetime. There are over 20 million veterans in this country. Sadly, many veterans get lost in “the system”, struggle to adapt to regular life or become homeless once they get back from their service. We should all strive…
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06Sep 2021 by Leisa
Favorite 2021 Summer Home and Garden House Portraits

Favorite 2021 Summer Home and Garden House Portraits

House Portraits, News
Summer Garden Dreams and Home Memories Over the last week I have noticed golden edges forming on the leaves of trees outside my studio window here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The occasional yellow leaf has flittered by, catching the sun on its descent and the air has a new and distinct crispness.  Before the summer slips through our fingers and disappears completely, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite summer portraits of 2021 for your enjoyment. Nothing enhances a home portrait more than the gardens of summer. Whether behind a manicured lawn, framed with shade trees, or covered in pots of flowers, the color and vibrance of summer bring a special magic to any home. Even in the city,  the tree-lined sidewalks and pocket gardens give…
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20Aug 2021 by Leisa
House Portrait Collection of Old Town Alexandria VA

House Portrait Collection of Old Town Alexandria VA

House Portraits, News
Old Town Alexandria  . . .  my artistic beginnings I have great affection and nostalgia for Old Town Alexandria.  It is where I launched my art career 11 years ago and I loved being part of the community and was honored to serve on the board of the Alexandria Arts Commission. Old Town Alexandria is a walkable historic district in the heart of the city of Alexandria, just south of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1749 when Alexandria was a thriving tobacco port in a British colony, it is renowned as George Washington’s hometown (his Mount Vernon estate is located just a few miles away) and still has a wide array of pre-Revolutionary War houses. The main historic styles found in Old Town Alexandria are Georgian, Federal, Victorian, Second Empire and…
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22Jul 2021 by Leisa
Why I love historic homes. . .

Why I love historic homes. . .

Historic Perservation, House Portraits, News
Touring a Historic Tudor Home A few days ago I delivered a house portrait II had just finished to Linda and Jim, the owners of a charming brick Tudor cottage in the Heritage Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Heritage Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its abundance of large Victorian houses.  My clients were most gracious and asked if I would like the “grand tour” of their home. “Well of course!” I replied. The experience reminded me just why I love historic homes so much. As I have always said, architecture is about people, and every home with history has a story. The moment I entered their Tudor abode I could sense almost a 100 years of memories  embedded in its walls. I thought…
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