Indian Rocks Beach: Art, Interviews and Books

The sun is shining and the sea is blue 

As we paint together we discuss the hue

Helen Tilston & Violetta painting in the sunshine

There seems to be insufficient hours in the day at this time of year.

Our art show opens on February 28th and triptychs, frames and details are being decided upon.

TheBelleair Bee have featured The Plein Aire Cottage Artists in this week's paper.  We are grateful to Brian Goff for his professionalism and good journalism.

Thank you to Indian Rocks Beach Neighourhood Newsletter for featuring our Tenth Anniversary in the January Issue. 

Bob & Becky Griffin we thank you 

Mary Rose Holmes puts finishing touches on her painting

This stylish woman stopped and gave her support

I was delighted to find sitting on my doorstep today a package from Amazon containing my copy of
Henny by Elizabeth Rose Stanton.  If you have not found Penspaper Studio blog by Elizabeth I can assure you it is a delightful and uplifting blog.   Elizabeth is a talented writer and also a very accomplished artist.

Spice Girl is showing her jealousy. I have assured her Henny has no intention of living with us

A typical Chicken and Henny

   It is my honour to have Henny perched on my bookshelf in the  company of talented authors whose books grace my home.  Who knew this kind of friendship would develop through blogging.
Tish Jett A Femme d'un Certain Age,  Pamela The House of Edward, Jennifer, Madame Chic,Lance Hattatt's Gardening Books,Vickie Archer, French Essence
All of the above books I have personally purchased.

Curlew on Indian Rocks Beach

Sending you sunshine and fond wishes from Indian Rocks Beach.

Buy only what you love

My maternal aunt  lived all her life in the thatched cottage  where she was born. 

 She was the eldest of seven children.  Aunt Mary was "delicate".  In Ireland it was not uncommon to hear the word delicate used when one was unhealthy.

We moved away from this area when I was eight years old.   My parents returned for visits but I did not.  My first job was in Dublin and when I had a week's vacation, I took my school friend with me and we visited my Aunt Mary.  Mary never married. She was an excellent housekeeper and loved her nieces and nephews which she rarely saw, due to the distance between Galway and Dublin. She was of curious mind, had a marvelous sense of humour with a happy and contented disposition.
I had a new fashionable wardrobe and I discovered Mary loved glamour and was an expert with needle and thread.  She inspected each item of our clothing and enjoyed trying on our dresses and high heels.  She moaned that it was difficult to get fashionable items where she lived.

My friend and I spend our days at the beach by our old farm and returned daily to Aunt Mary's in time for tea and her delicious freshly baked breads.

Autumn came and I was back working in Dublin and spending my lunch hours window shopping.  One day a coat caught my eye.  It would be perfect for Aunt Mary.   Each week I visited the shop and paid an installment on the coat.  In a few months, I had paid for the coat and I hastily ran to the GPO and mailed the coat to Aunt Mary.

She wrote that it was the most beautiful coat she had ever seen and was looking forward to wearing it to Sunday mass and for special occasions.

Aunt Mary died one year later and my uncle returned the coat to me.   

I loved that coat even more as it had brought joy to Aunt Mary and gently caressed her delicate figure.  I wore it until it became threadbare.