The "509 Urban Sketchers and Painters" drove to Othello on Saturday to: 1, visit The Old Hotel Art Gallery; and 2, since it was the weekend of Othello's "Sandhill Crane Festival," to find the cranes. Having been invited by the staff at the The Old Hotel Art Gallery, we stopped there first and were graciously received by Heidi who took us on a tour of old building and shared with us its somewhat tawdry and sordid past.Originally constructed in 1912 as a hotel for the railroad workers, it later became a place where "single ladies," shall we say, "plied their trade," and even later owned by a man who raised pigs in the basement. Sordid? Rumors still abound in Othello regarding the number of people who went missing, never to return, during this man's tenure at the hotel. More sordid? Those rumors include where the dead people may have been hidden...are you thinking the basement? Yep.
Today the Old Hotel is a beautiful old gal who hosts a wonderful art gallery filled with paintings, sculptures, hangings, pottery and all things art! If you ever have the chance to drive near Othello, a stop here is an absolute MUST.
We plan to return as soon as possible, especially since one of our members received the devastating news that her father in Nebraska had passed away while we were there.
Years ago I really wanted to learn the technique of water colors and oils. Too expensive for me now, but I have always been a fan of water colors. I am a fan of George Boutwell of Clifton, TX who does water colors about anything Texas. I have bought a few prints made from his western water colors, through the years and they hang in my hall way here at the house, so for me, Jimbo keep drawin', sketchin' and paintin' the way that makes you thrive.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! That would be fun to travel around with some other artists and draw/paint all day. Is the sketchbook project all finished?
ReplyDeleteJim I really like the brightness of your sketches, obviously the sun shines a lot where you are,unlike where I am in Ireland. Lovely work
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this I was totally unaware of the topic. Thanks for Explaining in such a nice way. As per my knowledge there some.
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