Category: House Portraits

Pinellas County's eclectic array of architecture. . . Now that I live in Pinellas county, with the help of Wikipedia, I decided to find out more about its interesting history. I have  enjoyed selecting and painting a number of original portraits that depict this region and have also completed some commissioned house portraits.  Most of the following pen and watercolor paintings are of historic homes but I have included a few mid-century or newer ones in order to show the interesting and eclectic mix of architectural styles that can be found here. The Pinellas peninsula, like all of Tampa Bay, was inhabited by the Tocobaga Indians, prior to European exploration and settlement.  They created their own town as well as a temple mound that overlooked the bay in an area which is now known as Safety…

There is no limit to the new and interesting requests I receive for special commissioned paintings these days. They nearly all start with clients in the USA -- usually after I have completed a painting of their own home. This seems to liven up their creative juices and that's when the fun begins.  Usually they are for special gifts. In my last email, I released a newsflash that I have now completed paintings of homes and historic buildings in every state across America, however I wanted you to know that I don't just limit myself to the the USA.  I thought you might like to take a peak at some commissioned paintings that I have created of scenes that are inside of homes as well as house portraits that go beyond our US…

Moving forward on my coffee table book. When I first relaunched my art career some years ago and decided to focus on my true passion -- architectural art -- I had what seemed like a very far-fetched and impossible goal: to create paintings of homes and historic buildings in every single state across the USA. Well I recently achieved this target when I completed a painting of a beautiful old theater in Wyoming, the last remaining bastion. Now I can move onto the next steps in putting my coffee table book together. This book is also a long time dream of mine.  It will include my paintings in every state and document my architectural journey across America -- from the eyes of an artist. I will do my best to reveal…

I don't tend to do a lot of looking back as I'm usually too busy speeding forward... but before the first month of 2018 disappears, I decided to take a look back at all my house portraits of 2017 and pick out some star projects. Reflection is good and it really was quite a year. It was super hard to choose just a few from so many, but I wanted to share these stellar examples with you. There are just two main categories: "The MOST ___________" which covers the most cliff hanging, the most elaborate, the most surprising and the most missed, to name a few. There were also a number of FIRSTS last year. My job is interesting enough as it is, but these firsts really kept things lively!…

Houston Homes and Watercolor Memories... Being that I am currently in the process of putting my coffee table book together, it occurred to me some months ago that I had virtually nothing to show for the state of Texas.  I mean it's only one the 2nd biggest state geographically and the 3rd most populous state in the country!  I somehow had the idea that there would be nothing but boring dusty ranch houses, lots of brown and a distinct lack of anything resembling growth and green. Upon arriving in Houston I discovered nothing could be further from the truth.  I first feasted on some of city's oldest landmarks such as the famous art deco Houston Town Hall and the stunning Neo-Byzantine subjects standing tall on the campus of Rice University.…

House portraits from the back are also cool . . . We all see the front view of a home, with its curb appeal and character shining through. But have you ever stopped to wonder what the back of some of these homes look like?  You might be surprised -- and intrigued! Here are a number of recent portrait commissions I have completed in California, Florida, Texas and Virginia, where the owners asked me to paint both views of their home. [caption id="attachment_8218" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Right on the waters edge, this is the elegant front view of a home in Tarpon Springs, Florida.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8217" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] As you can imagine, the view from this side looking out across the bay is totally spectacular.  I am glad I had the…

Painting historic homes in Greater St. Louis Having made our home in St. Louis for a couple of months now, I continue to find new and fascinating house portrait subjects.  Therefore I decided to update my initial blog post to reflect my growing collection of portraits and the architectural diversity they represent. There is certainly no shortage of architectural charm and character in this grand old city.  And while it's a really good thing I like brick  -- because historic St Louis is all about brick -- I especially took the time to select some non-brick or at least painted brick homes. One I found in Clayton is a beautiful Spanish style house and another is one of the oldest Colonial homes in this city. Another Clayton treasure I discovered…

Homes in 46 states have now been turned into architectural works of art! I am excited to update you about my upcoming architectural coffee table book.  Entitled Art Inspiring Homes Across the USA, the book will showcase homes I have painted in every state across America, and celebrate their diversity, elegance and individual style from state to state. While my artistic inspiration is the vast and captivating array of architecture one finds in every corner of this land, my fascination also lies with the individuals and families who with their hands, skill or artistic design, brought each and every one of these architectural forms into being, creating both a footprint and legacy that we enjoy today. Since my last update I have created portraits in four new states. The first…

Mom: The glue that holds the home together . . .  It suddenly occurred to me today that perhaps it's no mistake that Mother's Day is celebrated in the Spring, that wonderful season of love, hope, youth and growth. Did you know that the earliest history of Mothers Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses?  More recently, mothers were celebrated in the 1600s in England. The day was called Mothering Sunday where children brought gifts and flowers to pay tribute to their mother.  On the occasion, servants, apprentices and other employees staying away from their homes were encouraged by their employers to visit their mothers and honor them. Traditionally children brought with them gifts and in other nations have observed similar days.…

Not surprisingly, this video is about “How to Paint a House Portrait”.  And the best part about it is that all the hours that went into this portrait have been distilled down to just 1 ½ minutes!  And yet it still contains all the basic steps.  Boy, I wish it were this easy! These days I am doing commissioned portraits all over the USA, so it was nice to get the chance to go on site and capture this charming Craftsman home just down the road from me. AN IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT THIS VIDEO. . . The portrait of this home was a commissioned painting for MOTHER”S DAY!  You might think this occasion is a long way off, but in the world of original art it is not.  Celebrate your…