Art in Action National USA Tour Stops Into Lansing, Michigan -- Artist Creates House Portrait of Historic Lansing Home as Gift to City

Lansing, MI, November 07, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Capturing the "places, faces and homes of America on camera and on canvas", Lansing was one of the stops of the Across the USA from the Eyes of an Artist tour for visual artist, Leisa Collins. Being that house portraits of historic buildings are of particular interest to Leisa, she was drawn to the historic Turner-Dodge House in Old Town Lansing and created a pen and watercolor painting which she presented to coordinator Jennifer McDaniels as a gift to the city of Lansing.

"I am a great believer to restoring historic monuments and the Turner-Dodge project is an example of the city taking positive action in this direction. I therefore decided to show my support through my art." The painting is now displayed in the make entrance lobby of Turner-Dodge House.

The cross-country journey, which started in Los Angeles five weeks ago and will end in New York, marks the re-emergence of Leisa into the art world after two decades of global travels and social activism. Leisa and her co-adventurer, husband and Lansing native, Bruce Goodman, have traveled 4,000 miles to date, with another 2,000 more to go. Leisa’s focus today is on promoting art for change. She first launched her artistic career in New Zealand 1976, after she abandoned formal art training and opted to learn her craft by capturing the beauty of the New Zealand wilderness on her canvas.

In addition to recording the scenic beauty and people of America through photos and paintings created by Leisa on the road and promoted through her Art with a Message Blog, Leisa has given free art lessons to budding young artists along the tour route to raise awareness for children and art education. In this regard, Leisa is partnered with Free Arts for Abused Children so as to get this message across.

After completing the tour, Leisa will return to Lansing. Some of her work can be found on display at the Absolute Gallery in Old Town Lansing. A native of New Zealand, but international in scope, Leisa is now combining her activist and artistic skills under the motto of art with a message. Working mainly in acrylic and watercolors, Leisa is diverse, painting landscapes one day and house portraits and face portraits the next. She also works with other women artists and specializes in art for change projects; in both the realistic and semi-abstract genres. Leisa’s website is www.leisacollins.com and her Art with a Message Blog, www.leisacollinsartwithamessage.blogspot.com, follows the action of the tour. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, Art in the Making from her website.

For further information contact:

Leisa Collins:
Email: leisa@leisacollins.com
Phone: (517) 763 8453

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