Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg Celebrates 300 Years

When I looked over the Virginia Gazette Daily News Release this morning, I noticed a link to photos in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Bruton Parish Church. How amazing. In our part of the world, a building with a history of 300 years is quite unusual.

Then I remembered that the iconic Williamsburg landmark which has been photographed and painted thousands of times is part of my "Snapshot in Time" book about the Williamsburg Inn. For these little books, I like to focus on a few side trips that make visits to these old hotels memorable. Bruton Parish Church is one of those focus stories.

Here are two brief segments from my book:

When local residents consider the dramatic stories of Colonial Williamsburg, Bruton Parish Church is one of the buildings that usually comes to mind. In continuous use since 1715, the salmon-colored brick structure is among the most historic buildings that line the streets of Colonial Williamsburg today. The current building is the third of a series of "houses of worship" dating back to 1660. The first structure at Middle Plantation (the name for Williamsburg before it was incorporated in 1669) was most likely built of wood.

Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, and Patrick Henry were among the men of the Revolutionary War who attended Bruton Parish Church. During the Battle of Yorktown, the church was used as a hospital or a storehouse, possibly both.  

"Bruton Parish Church" ©Mary Montague Sikes

I enjoy living close to Williamsburg where history thrives in the restoration area. Taking a stroll down Duke of Gloucester Street and heading down side streets never gets old. How fortunate Bruton Parish Church,  Williamsburg icon has survived for 300 years.

B is for Bunny - Easter Bunny

A to Z Challenge

Well, I decided to do a painting a day for the A to Z Challenge. When life gets in the way, it becomes harder than I thought it might be. That happened today, but I created a painting anyway.

In keeping with the Easter season, I thought "B" for Bunny was most appropriate. I fished out some photos I took several years ago in Colonial Williamsburg. While watching re-en-actors make bricks out of clay like they did in the days of the first colonists, I noticed a small brown bunny nearby. Excited at the closeup potential, I pulled out my digital camera and took several shots before it shied away. I was happy to have these photos for reference material today.

The painting is 11" x 14" acrylic on stretched canvas.

"Williamsburg Bunny" acrylic on canvas ©Mary Montague Sikes

 

Painting En Plein Air

"Hats by the Powder Horn" acrylic/canvas MMSikes

Painting en plein air has always sounded intriguing to me, but I never tried it before last Saturday. Although it rained some off and on, the weather was not too bad. Since I use a variety of materials and larger canvases than many artists, I can't move my work station quickly in the event of sudden rain showers. Because of that I found a protected alcove where I could paint using photographs I'd taken earlier in the week in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg.

"Colonial Garden" MMSikes

I was thrilled to create two new paintings from scratch. Normally, I would never have spent all day Saturday painting. This was fun! Next time, hopefully the weather will be sunny. Maybe I'll get a French easel, but for my work it will have to be a big one.