Alex McCollum NonStop Local Multimedia Journalist
The Hotel Finlen’s Motor Inn has been getting a fresh coat of paint over the last few weeks as an artist hired from London, England has been creating a brand-new mural on the outside.
BUTTE, Mont. - The Hotel Finlen’s Motor Inn has been getting a fresh coat of paint over the last few weeks as an artist hired from London, England has been creating a brand-new mural on the outside.
Peregrine Heathcote was commissioned by the hotel to create the piece, titled “The Intrepid Explorer.” He specializes in vintage-style paintings, which caught the eyes of hotel owners JJ and Shanna Adams.
“He came across my work online and he liked the fact that I painted a lot of vintage travel pieces and that synchronize very well with the stylistic theme of the hotel,” he said.
Since the end of August, Heathcote has been working on the mural, which will be on display for guests and those walking by. The project is part of the hotel’s 100-year birthday, which they will be celebrating in early 2024.
Heathcote and JJ spent a lot of time discussing what they wanted in the mural, ultimately landing on something that captures Butte iconography and brings it to life.
The mural has pieces of Butte and the Mining City’s history spread throughout. You can see one of the historic mines, an image of Uptown Butte featuring the Hotel Finlen, Charles Lindbergh’s plane, “The Spirit of St. Louis,” flying overhead and Our Lady of The Rockies standing by in the mountains. All of this is centered around a woman standing on a pier on Lake McDonald with her luggage, taking in the view.
Heathcote has been staying in one of the hotel’s famous suites where famous photographer Robert Frank snapped a photo, which he later published.
“So, there's that creative element, which is very inspiring to be, you know, surrounded by,” he said.
The Mining Cityin general has a lot of creative energy and stepping out onto the sidewalk for the first time felt like stepping into an Edward Hopper painting, Heathcote said. The city’s long history and heritage are also a huge part of what makes it so captivating,
“It's an incredible place. So, I'm really inspired and fired up to be working here. I'm very happy that I can work on the wall and then people can see it as they walk past,” he said. "And, you know, I've chatted to some fantastic people. So, it's just a win-win situation. It's lovely to be here.”
Heathcote trained for three years in Florence, Italy, learning traditional painting techniques. He has been producing works like this for around 20 years, at one point doing a program with the BBC. A lot of his stylistic inspiration comes from his maternal grandfather, who was a test pilot, and his paternal grandfather who was into vintage cars.
He uses acrylic paint, which will be sealed after the mural is finished to protect it from the elements. The completion date is expected sometime in mid-September but is not set in stone.
