Combining Travel, Books, and Art

Three of my favorite things to do are travel, paint, and write. What a joy it is when you can actually combine all of these in one project. That's what happened with my Hotels to Remember coffee table book project.

For years, we have traveled to cities all over our country and in Canada. Along the way, we discovered some of the most amazing hotels. Many are historic; others are connected to art and history in meaningful ways. Eventually, I chose 20 unique edifices to highlight in my book which became a "Snapshot in Time".

For each hotel, I created a pastel drawing. Twelve of those drawings are on display now at This Century Art Gallery's Art Education Center in Williamsburg. This is the first time these paintings have been displayed together in the Tidewater area of Virginia. Their initial showing was in the Gellman Room of the Richmond Public Library a few months before the book was released.

One of the hotels I chose was Hilltop House in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. That hotel is now closed with plans to renovate and reopen it on hold. I chose this particular property to highlight because of the historical significance of the area.

"Hanging Art"  MMSikes

It's exciting to see the work together once again and to remember what it was like once upon a time to be there. I love to travel, paint, and write about all of it.

--Mary Montague Sikes