The Canberra Hotel in Brisbane circa 1930

This vibrant watercolor captures the former Canberra Hotel, a towering temperance landmark that stood as ‘the city hotel for country people’ from 1927 until its demolition in 1987. Through a bold dichromatic palette, the artist brings its grand, since-lost façade to life. Delicate brushstrokes suggest the architectural details of the seven-storey building (later expanded to ten), while the dynamic interplay of warm and cool hues evokes the energy of the over eight million guests it once welcomed, merging the hotel's historic charm with a contemporary artistic sensibility.