On a beautiful summer day, 14 years ago, when I had only just launched my artist career, I briefly visited Traverse City in northern Michigan. That day I realized I wasn’t simply documenting buildings — I was preserving memories.
Due to my short stay in 2012, I only captured three Traverse City homes with my pen and watercolor, as featured in this post. However, each of these three painitngs taught me to slow down and truly observe the details that make historic homes special. The curve of a porch railing, the texture of aging cedar shingles, the shadows beneath mature maple trees — these are the elements that give a home its soul.
And this is why I am now back in the beautiful Traverse City area, but this time I will be spending more time creating a much more comprehensive series of paintings.
This pen and watercolor painting of this stunning home on Washington Street with its inviting porch is the first home I painted. You can see the 2012 date right next to my artist signature.
There is something deeply personal about historic homes in Traverse City. Long before modern subdivisions and uniform architecture, these homes were built with craftsmanship, individuality, and pride. Every porch spindle, gabled roofline, and weathered brick walkway tells a story about the families who lived there and the city that grew around them.
Historic neighborhoods throughout Traverse City are filled with architectural character. Areas like the Central Neighborhood, Old Towne, Slabtown, and the Boardman district showcase homes dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many feature Queen Anne, Victorian, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and American Foursquare influences that reflect the city’s early lumber and maritime prosperity.
Victorian and Queen Anne homes are some of the most visually captivating to paint. Their asymmetrical designs, decorative trim, bay windows, and ornate porches create endless opportunities for expressive linework and watercolor texture. These homes were designed to stand out, and even after more than a century, they still do.
Craftsman homes, which can also be found in Traverse City, offer a different kind of beauty. Their low-pitched roofs, exposed beams, deep front porches, and handcrafted details embody warmth and simplicity. In watercolor, the earthy tones and natural materials translate beautifully, while pen work highlights the strong architectural geometry that makes these homes timeless.
One of the things I love most about painting these homes in Traverse City is that no two are alike. Even houses built in the same era have their own personality shaped by decades of family life, restoration, gardens, seasonal weather, and changing neighborhoods.
Historic homes are more than architecture — they are emotional landmarks.
For many families, a home holds generations of memories: children growing up, holidays celebrated, gardens planted, and milestones shared. Over time, homes change ownership, neighborhoods evolve, and original details can disappear. A hand-painted house portrait becomes a way to preserve not just the structure itself, but the feeling of the place.
Take this elegant Queen Anne, with its unique circular porch entrance. As I was painting it I could not help but wonder who have slept in those upper bedrooms and all the generations that have enjoyed living in this home.
Pen and watercolor house portraits have a permanence and intimacy that photography often cannot capture. The looseness of watercolor combined with the precision of ink allows the personality of the home to emerge in a deeply human way. Every brushstroke becomes part of the story.
Traverse City has worked hard to preserve many of its historic structures and neighborhoods because these buildings help define the city’s identity and sense of place. Residents often describe these older neighborhoods as walkable, connected, and rich with character — qualities that continue to attract people who value authenticity and craftsmanship.
As an artist, I feel incredibly fortunate to capture some of these homes in their current moment — preserving them not only as architecture, but as memory. Such as this charming cottage on Bay Street Road, Traverse City, which I was commissioned to paint in 2019.
As my career in capturing the beauty of the architectural legacy of homes in the USA has expanded, most of my work now is devoted to commissioned house portriats. I am blessed to have new commission requests coming in from around the country every week. However I still love to select my own subjects while travelling around the country.
In a rapidly changing world, preserving these homes through art feels more important than ever. Their stories deserve to be remembered.
If you live in a historic neighborhood in Traverse City, look out for me at work and don’t forget to say hello. I am currently busily selecting my favorite subjects and have began drawing and now paintings these homes.
Ciao for now,
Leisa
