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Scenic Portland, Oregon home
Just completed on March 31st…. a custom-sized 14″ x 22″ watercolor of a spacious, brick ranch home located in a hillside of scenic Portland, Oregon. Nestled by mostly pine trees, this home was built in 1960, and the long-time homeowners lived there until their move to Florida in 2014. The family took great care of this home and their gardens of roses, azaleas and rhododendrons, and many wonderful memories were made here, including being able to see Mt. Hood from their back deck! I hope this custom house portrait will bring many fond memories to them for many years to come.
While researching the property prior to beginning the artwork, I learned some interesting facts about this beautiful area of the country. Portland is the largest city in the state of Oregon, having a population of over 620,000 in an area covering 145 square miles. It is recognized for being one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world due to it’s 10,000+ acres of public parks, farm-to-table dining, abundant bicycle paths and large community of avid cyclists, and an expansive network of public transportation options. In addition, Portland is known for some of the best coffee houses and microbreweries! It’s climate is marked by dry, warm summer months and rainy, chilly winters — making it ideal for growing roses, which explains why Portland has been called “The City of Roses” for over a century! Sounds like a great place to visit and live!
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My painting buddy!
Since March 25th, we had a guest at the house – our son’s eight month old dog, Max! He’s a great friend, and a joy to have here… he was a nice companion in my art studio… he would lay by my drawing table and watch me while I worked! He’s still a puppy, so I took frequent breaks from painting to play with him, which he thoroughly enjoyed. I put the finishing touches on a watercolor house portrait today, so tomorrow, I’ll be free to spend the day with him before my son picks him up. I’ll be happy to have Max anytime — he’s a charmer!
My Sincere Thanks!
Special thanks to JENNIFER SUITS, owner of THE ART BEACON, for her efforts helping potential customers find my custom house portrait business in their internet searches! Like other busy, small business owners, I don’t have the extra time to become a marketing expert, so Jennifer’s expertise, especially in social media networking, is very appreciated! She works exclusively with professional artists to teach us how to promote our artwork online and grow our businesses — something so very important these days! I highly recommend her services to other creative professionals needing help to promote their online presence — she’s a very knowledgeable and wonderful person to work with! For more detailed information, visit The Art Beacon website: http://www.theartbeacon.com/
Visit to Fraternity House
I am accustomed to working on house portraits even on weekends, but I took a break from painting to spend this past one with our youngest son Chaz, a junior at Mizzou — it was Delta Sigma Phi Mom’s Weekend at his fraternity house, and something I look forward to every year! On Saturday, March 19th, all the moms were treated to a bus trip to Les Bourgeois, a local winery that included a delicious brunch for us and our sons — it was a wonderful day and just part of a weekend of special memories we will cherish!
Last year, I was able to create an 11″ x 14″ watercolor portrait of their Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house and make limited edition color prints available for sale to the members and their parents — it was a nice fundraiser for them and an appreciated momento of their years living there. I would be happy to do the same for other fraternity and sorority houses — just ask!
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Keepsake of family home
Completed on March 9th, this 9″ x 15″ watercolor portrait of a home in West St. Louis County is certain to become a treasured keepsake for my client, Pam Kramer — it portrays the home where she grew up! Built in 1958 by her father’s construction company, BR Altemuelller Construction Inc, she said she has the best childhood memories at this residence, including the day she and her parents moved into the house — it happened to be her 7th birthday! Through the years, the home was a source of pride and enjoyment for the three of them until it was sold in 1974. She was saddened to see last year that the home had been torn down by the current property owners so a new house could be built, and realized that all that remained were her memories and faded, old family photos. I can only imagine the sense of loss she felt! When her good friend Gay McCormick mentioned that I had just completed a home portrait for a Christmas gift for her son’s family, Pam contacted me and commissioned the watercolor portrait of the home that meant so much to her. Using her vivid memories of the property and three old photographs, I was able to depict the home that no longer exists. It was an honor to provide such a meaningful , original piece of artwork, and hope it will touch her heart with countless warm memories of the years she lived there with her parents!
