New Series

These are the first four pieces that I have completed in my series of sketches of Old Hotels.  These are all based on photographs that I took for the Beer Parlour Project.  I have decided to share these on the project website, even though they are not spectacular, and I'm still learning.  I'm generally happy with these, and hope that my technique improves as I continue.  

I looked back at some of the other works of old buildings that I completed, mostly back in 2021.  It seems that they are a little better, and perhaps I need to get a little more serious about things.  I got distracted and neglected this project, from 2021 until late 2024.  Even since then, I am not working on it as consistently as I should.  Like other things I am involved in... like photography, and trying to learn the guitar...  you have to keep at it regularly to stay in practice.  

The first piece here is the Elk River Hotel in Hosmer, British Columbia.  It was visited by the Beer Parlour Project way back in 2022, and became our episode BP3.0.  Sadly the owner passed away a short time after our visit and the hotel closed.

The second piece here is the Fife Lake Hotel in Fife Lake, Saskatchewan.  It was visited by the Beer Parlour Project in the summer of 2023, and became our episode BP15.0.  The owner of 50 years sold the hotel about a year after our visit and it remains in operation under new ownership.

The third piece here is my most recently completed one and is of the Peers Hotel in Peers, Alberta.  It was visited twice by the Beer Parlour Project in the fall of 2024.  These were episodes BP20.0 and 20.1.  Our second visit was a memorial for a local resident that had passed away shortly after our first visit.  That was the last day of operation for the hotel and it remains closed.

The last piece is a detail shot of the side entrance of the Victoria Hotel in Bruderheim, Alberta.  The Beer Parlour Project visited twice, in December of 2023 and then again in February of 2024.  These were episodes BP9.0 and 9.1  The hotel remains in operation with the same ownership team that was in place at the time of our visit.  This seems to be a rare occurrence.