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Thenhaus's Painting Selected for Book Cover

Updated: Jul 5, 2021

By Eleanor Sevigny

Published April 8, 2021 in The Burg


Paulette Thenhaus has been an artist for 50 years.

“I’ve loved art since the very beginning.” Thenhaus passionately stated.

Over the past 50 years she has taught art and discovered her favorite medium is acrylic paint on canvas. Recently Thenhaus sold one of her paintings to be used as a book cover.

“My sister called and asked about cow paintings. She had a friend, Ronald Erskine, who is a cow veterinarian. That is what originally gave me the idea for the painting. Erskine loved the painting. At the time he was writing a book and asked if he could use it for the cover. The book is called Prometheus Scorned. It is about an arsonist who burns down barns.” Thenhaus explained.

The idea for Thenhaus’s painting came from her sister asking for a painting of cows. However, Thenhaus drew her inspiration from another source.

“I found old farm bulletins that the farm bureau sent out during the depression and I found one called Barn Burning. I really liked it, so I turned it into a painting. I changed the color of the cows to purple for fun. Then I thought of a quote, “I’ve never seen a purple cow. I rather see a purple cow than be one.”” Thenhaus passionately stated.

Thenhaus named her painting after the farm bulletin, Barn Burning.

The best advice Thenhaus can give aspiring artists is “Just keep your eyes open for something to paint. These bulletins were going to be thrown away, but I thought they were interesting. I turned them into something people wanted. Get the idea from what you see and use your favorite media.”

There will be a book signing in the spring for Prometheus Scorned at Wordsmith Bookshoppe once Covid-19 restrictions let up.

You can purchase Prometheus Scorned at Wordsmith Bookshoppe 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Prints of Barn Burning are available for purchase at Dovetail Rivet and Stitch 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. You can also call Thenhaus to purchase a print at (309) 342-3547.

Thenhaus encourages the Galesburg community to, “Support the bookstore on Main Street. It is a beautiful spacious bookstore. It even has a section for local writers. I never went into the bookstore before my painting was selected for this book. I wish I had shopped there sooner. Another local business I encourage you to support is Dovetail Rivet and Stitch on Seminary Street. They are a local art store that offers so much to our community. The stores are within walking distance of each other. I encourage you to use the parking lot behind the bookstore and to visit both businesses!”

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