The Old House Hotel announces the completion of Phase One of Hallcroft Gardens, a new mural by local artist Amanda Hall. Renowned for her ability to truly capture the beauty of nature, Hall is a rising Vancouver Island artist. Hallcroft Gardens evokes a sense of nostalgia, transporting viewers to the forests and gardens of their childhood, or for newcomers, offers a closer look at what they might experience while reconnecting with nature during their stay.
Hallcroft Gardens features iconic plants such as gladiolus and hosta alongside native trillium, columbine, and climbing honeysuckle. Delicate accents of intricate maidenhair and bold bracken fern provide shelter for local mushrooms, creating a cohesive blend of gardening backgrounds. The mural is located in the Cedar Building ground floor hallway where both staff and guests are able to enjoy it.
Merging her artistic style with The Old House Hotel鈥檚 aesthetic, Hall used clean, bold lines and a simple three-color palette. The green from the Hotel鈥檚 entryway is carried into the mural, accented by warm copper tones that echo the unique lobby ceiling upstairs.
鈥淭he mural honours my English gardening heritage while celebrating native Vancouver Island flora. Hallcroft was the name of my family home in the north of England,鈥� said Hall. 鈥淲hen my garden-loving family moved to Canada as coal miners, they seamlessly blended British gardening traditions with native plants. I remember growing up with geraniums tucked among elderberry bushes and roses nestled into bracken ferns鈥攁 style that I have carried on in my own gardening today.鈥�
鈥淭his pilot project has been such a rewarding journey and represents the great collaborations that can happen with our talented artists and innovators in the Comox Valley,鈥� said Old House General Manager David Rooper. 鈥淗aving introduced CORE Landscape Products First Nations and Nature screens in the Hotel, we began to imagine other spaces where flora and fauna could be represented. Amanda鈥檚 enormous talent reflected in her wandering mural now welcomes our team and guests in a space that was screaming for warmth and creativity.鈥�
