Staying in historic B&B's always has appeal. Exploring a building that has served as a residence for significant citizens of a place can be intriguing, and revealing. Last month we stayed in one such B&B in Longview, WA, the home town of my husband. Tired but elegant in "bones," Rutherglen Mansion is a noble old home in need of restoration and a more professional staff, but it nonetheless has some beautiful features worth admiring. An example: the European tile in the bathroom of our room was elaborate and in excellent condition. Floor to ceiling and bold in color and pattern, the tiles still shone with earthy richness. I felt compelled to sketch a portion of the wall tiles to show the variety in the tiers. The pen, ink and watercolor tile sketch is above.
Of interest to artists would also be the former library of the home which is paneled in local Douglas fir adorned with "grainart" images. This room is currently part of the dining area jon the main floor. It was too dark to photograph.
Below is an arial view of the Rutherglen estate. The home was completed in 1927 for J.D. Tennant, the superintendant of Long-Bell Lumber. It was subsequently used as a home for troubled girls, and also as a nursing home. The estate overlooks the Columbia River and the mills alongside it.
I always remind drawing students that drawing houses and other buildings provides one of the biggest challenges in the realm of freehand sketching. Capturing accurately the persepective, the scale, and the right amount of detail add up to a tough exercise. Here, I began a sketch of the back of the mansion, the side that overlooks the river. My progress was happily interrupted by my granddaughter who arrived to join us for the Sunday brunch.
Do I recommend staying at Rutherglen? Only with cautionary recommendations: it is not your usual, comely B&B.
Jocelyn Curry 
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