Thornwell Trustee Mary Wain Ellison inspired the young men of TPH Cottage to become artists for a day with encouragements of “Go big – get your arm into it! Take the white off the canvas!”


Mary Wain helped the guys take blank canvases and turn them into big, bold works of art. With a long hallway in the cottage that looked like a gallery awaiting the next show, the boys created large art pieces that will enliven and brighten the walls for today and for years to come.


Mary Wain brought her brushes and paints, along with her gift of art and her skills as a teacher to prove to the TPH guys that their “inner artists” could be unleashed. Behold, the power of art!


Family Teacher Karen Baines joined in the project – turns out she is an artist, too! And even young Josiah Baines demonstrated real artistic talent in his own right.


“What a joy!” said Mary Wain. “Being at the heart of what Thornwell is all about was just what I needed. I had no idea how this project would fly, but it’s an understatement to say it exceeded any dream I had. Those guys weren’t just polite participants; they really put their hearts, minds (and hands) into what we were doing. I give Karen & Don a lot of the credit for having the project go well. They have created an atmosphere of trust and high expectations in that cottage that will carry these boys far, I’m sure. How fortunate these boys are to have them!”