That Which Makes Life Worthwhile

Gross National Produce measures everything, except that which makes life worthwhile. (Robert Kennedy)

Helen Tilston painting

A triptych and beach entrance at Indian Rocks Beach

It has been a busy and exciting week here.  A luxury condominium has commissioned Mary Rose, Violetta and myself  to paint a large triptych for the lobby of their building. This will be a fairly abstract view of the ocean.   24" x 72" x 3 panels. One panel painted by each artists.    Several smaller paintings are being collected by the Designer to also hang in the lobby.  The desiger we are working with has a wonderful eye for colour and feels art is an investment.  Her projects include original paintings and original works of art. She likened original paintings to fresh flowers versus silk flowers.  She feels designers are moving away from giclees and mass produced prints as an art form. Her view,  the frames are more valuable than the art contained within.

Study for larger painting 

A new homeowner, who has renovated an existing home has commissioned a triptych. The subject is  a group of cottages which were an annual one week rental for their family for more than two score years. Each panel will be 20" x 60". When hung will form one cohesive image measuring 60" x 60".

I have shown this triptych in black and white, it displays the values more clearly

Why a triptych?  It began seven years ago when **RCS (Religious Community Services)** advised us that we were the selected artists for their holiday gift card and fund raising. We felt it was a prestigeus honour but which of us 3 artists would do the honour.  Over dinner, we decided to do a triptych, one panel by each artist which when put together forms a cohesive scene.  Thus began the triptychs and polytychs.

Mary Rose Holmes in front of Plein Aire Cottage Artists Triptych and Lyn Terbrugge  Chief Docent at Leepa Ratter, during the artists exhibition at Leepa Ratter of 8 triptychs.

  Lynn Whitelaw, the Director from Leepa Rattner Museum in Tarpon Spring when asked about the Plein Aire Cottage Artists, in an interview said   "Artists have collaborated int he past but to my knowledge no artists have painted in this manner" .  (In a future post, I will speak of how we begin the process of a triptych)



 **$18,500.00 was raised**

The Plein Aire Cottage Artists paint only originals.  No giclees nor prints are made.  Each painting is an original, painted en plein aire and if necessary, completed in the studio.

Each year, we produce a calendar with images of our paintings. This benefits IRB Historical Museum and Library and is the only reproduction of our work.


Wishing you a Thanksgiving full of bounty for your mind, body and spirit.  I am thankful for the joy and friendship found here with my followers.  You are all very, very special and your writing and comments enhances and enriches each day of my life.

My biggest problem here, I am having a bad hair day.

Are you,  and if so, how are you celebrating Thanksgiving?