On any given day, odds are that you will find Kristin with a book in one hand as she reads to her young children and a hammer in the other as she revives another old house. Before Kristin became captivated by houses and kids, she was in the library at Boston College earning her degree in teaching and educating the high school youth of Boston & Minnesota. Among the paint and dust of loving houses, Kristin runs her small business, Smart College (smartcollege.com), serving students and families as they navigate the college admissions process.

Jen Russell-Smith is an artist and illustrator from Wiltshire in the UK. With a special talent for capturing the heart, drama, and personality of buildings and places, Jen has completed more than a thousand house, venue and location portraits over the last ten years. Jen’s masterful artistry and hand-crafted renderings have preserved the images of many homes, buildings, churches and places that her clients hold dear. Jen also shares her expertise with others as author of her book The Joy of Sketch (David and Charles, 2020), a guide to starting one’s own sketchbook practice.