Walking the streets of Downtown Sacramento in search of inspiration for my series of House Portraits, I sighted a brilliant shock of red Crepe Myrtle with a kitschy house as its backdrop. ‘I've gotta add that warmth to my series,’ I thought, as I snapped a pic at just the right angle.
The studio was cold before I got to the window heater to get the air warm, and moving again. I opened the window blinds for some natural light, and glanced up at the row of House Portraits lining my main studio wall. ‘Each study, each house, each painting has a story to tell,’ I thought.
After an inspired talk with a fellow artist, I decided to tell the story of each House Portrait, mainly in my Instagram content (@michellecordovapainter).
There are ten 8 by 8 House Portraits on the main wall of my studio. Some are based on houses in the Historic Chinese Delta town of Locke, but most are inspired by houses I’ve seen on my walks through Downtown Sacramento. There is a reason I painted each one, the color of the house against the sky, the composition of the house between other buildings, and the way the telephone wires hold the scenes together. An orange tree, a lemon tree, silhouettes of trees and bushes, wispy wintering trees, and trees touched by Autumn, softening the hard edges of the city-scape, all calling me to paint them.
Visit my studio, 4311 Attawa Ave, by appointment (michellecordova.art@gmail.com) to view my series of House Portraits in person, and escape into the story of each piece.
You may even decide to purchase, and take a cheerful House Portrait home with you to brighten up your everyday space, or give as a special one-of-a-kind gift to someone special.
I look forward to seeing you in my studio.
Thank you for reading & Happy Painting!
Michelle