A Chicago Love Story in Watercolor: Hanson Hall at North Park University

Turns out higher education can be good for more than just earning a degree.

This little 5x7 watercolor features Hanson Hall, home to the School of Music, Art, and Theatre at North Park University in Chicago. My client commissioned it as a gift for her husband because it's where they first met, turning a meaningful place from their story into something they could hang on the wall.

"I just received the painting and it is absolutely stunning! Thank you for putting so much care and thoughtfulness in capturing all the small details. I love it so much and can't wait to gift it to my husband!" —Onella

The challenge was fitting such a large building into a relatively small painting. Rather than including the entire structure, I cropped in closer to focus on the most recognizable part of the façade, which allowed me to preserve the character of the building without losing all the architectural details.

Even at 5x7, there was plenty to keep me busy. The brickwork alone took quite a bit of time, and the entryway includes lots of small details that still needed to feel crisp and recognizable at a reduced scale. Since this was painted in my Style A format without a full background, I added blooming flowers and landscaping along the base of the building to bring a little extra color and life to the composition.

For such a small painting, this one somehow managed to pack in a lot of bricks, a lot of memories and a love story.

Learn how to commission a hand-painted watercolor portrait ➜