Women of Watercolor
A TRIBUTE TO PATTY JO THARP
PATTY JO THARP
June 7, 1936-October 13, 2019
PATTY JO THARP
June 7, 1936-October 13, 2019
Patty Jo Tharp, a longtime watercolorist and member of WOW, passed away on October 13, 2019 after complications from a stroke.
Patty Jo was a completely self-taught artist, doing drawings and paintings and combinations thereof nearly all her life. As a member of Women of Watercolor, she actively participated in summer paint outs and was a role model to many. She taught several mini-classes and generously arranged for the group to meet in the Tiger Run Resort gathering spaces.
She was born to Joseph and Alice Miller on June 7, 1936, in Salt Lake City, Utah and married her best friend, Edward Tharp in 1958. He served as Mayor of Georgetown, Colorado for a time and that is where Patty Jo joined her first art gallery. They had three children, 5 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. Patty Jo was the anonymous donor to her church in Georgetown of the new organ they so badly needed. Ed and Patty Jo bought a trailer unit on the Blue River in Tiger Run RV Resort. They spent many happy summers there, with Patty Jo painting on the deck and hosting family members.
After Ed died, Patty became a resident at Holly Creek Continuous Care, in Centennial, CO. As an 80 year-old, Patty Jo was featured in a Channel 9, Denver, newscast about her involvement with a second grade pen pal at Cherry Hill Christian School. They had been exchanging letters and drawings for over four years and finally got to meet each other. In her inimitable and practical style, Patty Jo said to the TV interviewer, “Well, I think it’s good for kids to see older people who still do things.”
The reception after a memorial service featured a hall lined with easels of Patty Jo’s work, leading visitors to a room that was full of her paintings. The collection included some of the art she created for the annual Georgetown Christmas Walk poster.
Donations in her name can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Georgetown, PO Box 912, Georgetown, CO 80444 or the Georgetown Loop Railroad, PO Box 249, Georgetown, CO 80444.
Below are some of the remembrances from Women of Watercolor.
She was a delightful person that was so positive and willing to take on so much despite her age. She was always up for a challenge and so friendly. I will truly miss her and her spirit.
Let us remember her well! – Judy O.
It’s so hard to wrap my head around the fact that just two weeks before Patty Jo’s fall, she was hauling her supplies up that very rocky steep path to the waterfall on our Grand Lake trip. Kevin was in front and I was following as she gamely plugged along that treacherous path until she found a wonderful spot to ’set up’. No, it wasn’t quite flat, but isn’t that what plein air is about? She made it work just fine. And then back down again, she wouldn’t even use my walking stick as she battled that rocky uneven path. Back in our room she polished up her painting/s, and off we went again. She was intrepid to say the least.
I often shared space with Patty Jo, and she was always so gentle and so gracious … so comfortable to be with. Her paintings always emerged so naturally too … she always made it look so easy! I agree that she is up there teaching art to the angels, and they are loving every minute of it! Patty Jo, I hope your studio will be open when we come up to join you 😇 - Annieb
Wonderful that Patty Jo could join the field trip this year... doing what she loved and inspiring others. Her memory will live on as long as others remember. ❤️ - Sarah
There is another crack in my heart at the loss of Patty Jo. What a wonderful person. She was so generous with her talent and friendship. We will all miss her. I’m so very glad she was part of our field trip this year. How blessed we all were to have known her. - Ann B
Such an inspiration to witness painting with an amazing group of women during a lifetime! Patty Jo was truly Blessed with talent and friendship! – Michele
I’m so sorry to hear of Patti Jo’s passing. I always enjoyed my conversations with her, especially last year when she came with Barb and I to Palisade. – Linda
I am so sad to hear this news about Patty Jo. She was so fun on the Grand Lake trip and such a wonderful painter. – Jaimie
My sincere condolences to all of you who loved Patty Jo and painted with her, and gave her lots of help and friendship in recent years. Such a great talent. Such a great person. Such a wonderful friend. Patty Jo lived a life a great adventure. – Susan J.
What a gift Patty Jo was to WOW. I learned so much from her. What a treasure. ‘Some people come and go in our lives. Others leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same. ‘ Her smile and skill in painting will be something we remember always. – Judy D.
I just returned from being out of the country for almost 3 weeks and am now catching up on emails. The loss of Patty Jo is heartbreaking. Reading all the emails from WOW members is very touching. She was a beautiful person and talented painter. She leaves an impression on so many- generous with her knowledge, kind and a joy to be around. She will be greatly missed. Her painting with the Angels is a wonderful image. – Emily
I am very sorry to hear this news. She was a delightful lady and will be missed. At least she did not suffer long. – Pam
What a delight to all who knew her! She will be dearly missed! She opened up Tiger Run, north of Breck, for WOW to use at one point! Much appreciation to Susan for keeping watch over Patty Jo and so sadly updating us! - Ann M.
I think I remember Patty Jo because she has the same middle name as I have. All of our wonderful texts n memories have been so uplifting for me as a new member to feel the sisterhood you have in this precious group of women artists. God bless each of you in your loss of a good friend. As we get older it seems that we are losing so many of those close to us. Keep painting as much as possible these days we have left n love each other. Thank you all for letting me join you. – Nancy Jo
The comments from other Wowies (Susan's term) echo my own thoughts. I am saddened by this news since Patty Jo was such a dear. This past summer she asked me for rides to the various paint outs, which I was always glad to do, knowing that she was not quite up to finding her way to the more obscure painting locations and glad for her cheery company. She was "at ease at the easel", picking her location and scene with aplomb. Patty Jo taught several summer mini-classes and always had a full roster. I learned so much from watching Patty Jo paint! Love and blessings to all Patty Jo's family. - Mary Lou
So sorry to hear this! I have many fond memories of painting with Patti Jo. She was such a determined tough cookie yet also a delight to be around. Thank you for letting us know. She will surely be missed. Condolences to her family through this tough time.- Aimee
Thanks Susan for letting us know. She was a very dear and fun person to know and paint with. I will miss her. - Joey
I am so sad today to hear Patty Jo has passed away. I am glad she had one last trip to Grand Lake with WOW. To think she even got up to the falls (with a bit if help). She was so upbeat and inspirational to all of us. I enjoyed traveling with her and being her roommate a few years back when we painted at Redstone. She was always young at heart and painted beautifully, always ready to give us ideas when asked on how to improve a painting. It is hard to believe she won't be painting with us anymore. She was fun and such an inspiration. Thank you, Susan, for informing us and letting us know about her final days, as her passing comes as such a shock. I am so glad we were able to be with her on one last WOW trip and that she was able to paint right up until the end. We will miss you, Patty Jo. Ellyn, I am heartbroken; I didn’t even know she had a stroke. She was just with us in August for our field trip. I will miss her very much as I’m sure the other painters will as well. Thank you for letting us know. She was such a trooper, painting out, lugging her stuff to different locations and sharing her talent. It’s a sad day. - Barbara
A TRIBUTE TO EILEEN O'SULLIVAN, A FOUNDER OF WOMEN OF WATERCOLOR
EILEEN O'SULLIVAN
March 9, 1933-September 2, 2014
Eileen O'Sullivan was part of a small group of women who got together to paint en plein air in Summit County, Colorado. The initial group of 3 gradually began to grow and soon there were so many painters that some sort of organization was needed. Eileen suggested the name "Women of Watercolor" and she volunteered as its first president.
Eileen was raised in Queens, New York and her straight-forward view of life as a New Yorker never left her. She began her art career later in life after she retired. She said, "I'm giving myself ten years to get good at this!" So she threw herself into learning watercolor painting, taking workshops with esteemed teachers such as Stephen Quiller.
Eileen and her husband of 62 years, Connie, spent twenty summers in Breckenridge, Colorado where she was an avid member of the water aerobics group and a leader in WOW. She organized the first group exhibit which was held at the Speakeasy Theatre. Her philosophy for that show was that each artist should self-select her best work to put in the exhibit. That way, each woman would have the opportunity to present her art. WOW continues to this day with that concept and does not "jury" exhibits.
She also served on the Board of Directors of WASH, the Watercolor Arts Society of Houston. Eileen is survived by her husband, Cornelius J. O’Sullivan; children, Pamela O’Sullivan (58) and Carol Northcutt (57), Christopher (54) and Neil (46) as well as six grandchildren and a great grandson.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 10:30 AM at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail Drive, Houston, Texas 77079. A reception will follow mass on the church grounds.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, 14 Penn Plaza (Suite #1710) New York, New York 10122 or online at: www.ocrf.org. Visit www.DettlingFuneral.com to leave online tributes.
Below are some memories of Eileen from members of WOW:
I will always remember her spunk and smile and talent and love of Women of Watercolor. I will keep Connie and her family in my prayers. -Kevin Reynolds
I met Eileen the first day W.O.W! painted as a group by the river behind Connie's and her condo.(It was not yet W.O.W! but a group of about 9 women, most who had taken watercolor at CMC who wanted to keep painting together.) Together (with Judy Skovlin, our first president, Kathy Wahler, Cheryl Beck, Gere Baskin, Phyllis Montmeat, Betty Flint and Kathy Peyton) we named our group, developed our logo and had our first show...at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Frisco (August 19 to September 5, 1999.) The owners of the restaurant handed us the keys and, after closing, we took down the Log Cabin's art and under Eileen's expert supervision, hung our own! Our first opening party was "after the bar-b-q" 4:00-7:00 August 19. We reversed the hanging process at the end of the month. (Such trust they had in us!)
Eileen was our second president. Under her leadership we started to formalize our structure. I think this may be when we established dues and Kathy Wahler became our treasurer. Eileen was a stickler for the purity of watercolor media (like NO acrylic, even!) and uniformity of presentation (white and cream mats only...and NO barn wood!) She headed up our exhibition team for many years ...with Connie always helping and Kathy and Ron Wahler and even Bill and me often helping hang a show... Eileen got us the "Speakeasy" venue which was the site of our summer show for many years. And she got Doc P.J. to play bass for our openings!
Eileen may have led the first of our member run mini-workshops, doing a drip painting workshop on one of our first field trips to Redstone! It was a great idea that formally took off later. We had a W.O.W! farewell party at Carlos Miguel's when Eileen and Connie decided to leave the county a couple of years ago. We couldn't believe they were leaving. We were saddened. We are now even more saddened to mark Eileen's final passing...to that "great watercolor canvas in the sky."
We will miss you, Eileen, but are so glad to have known your vivacity, and to have worked with and learned alongside you. Peace be with you. - Sandi Bruns
I am so saddened by the passing of my friend and mentor Eileen. Eileen told me that she accumulated merit awards when she reached St Peters gate to get accepted into heaven. She told me on one occasion she brought a homeless women home, gave her a shower, fed her and handed her 20 bucks and sent on her way down the streets of Breckenridge. She told me this was a double award and she was so happy about doing these kind of of merit awards. I will never forget my dear and talented friend. -Kathy Wahler
I am so grateful to Eileen for being one of the original founders of Women Of Watercolor. She was such a driving force and a wonderful teacher to all of us who struggled to make a watercolor painting presentable at the end of a plein air session. Her critiques were always fair and encouraging with a sprinkling of humor thrown in. Above all she was a kind and thoughtful woman who was also a very talented artist. Thankfully, there are many of her works that can be seen and appreciated for many years to come. My thoughts and condolences go out to Connie and family at this very sad time. - Jan Lace
I have such fond memories of painting with Eileen in our WOW paintouts and other places as well. She used to invite me to paint at the stream behind her condo with her and was always eager to share her ideas and emphasize how she was not afraid of COLOR. She was so inspirational with her vibrant use of color. Once we sat along the road on Boreas Pass and painted the glorious autumn leaves. She was always happy and fun. I remember meeting her the first time I came to a WOW meeting at Phyllis's home. She was so friendly and welcoming. She taught us to pour paint on our trip to Redstone, and we had such fun traveling to Grand Lake together in my big green conversion van. She and Connie were quite special and both looked on the bright side of life. They were such a great team together. Eileen invited me to come by her condo and showed me all the paintings she did in a Quiller workshop, explaining each one and sharing what she had been taught. I am so glad I had one last opportunity to sit with her again as we painted in 2013 at the Giberson Ranch. What a beautiful day that was and such fun to be with Eileen again. She will be missed and we are all indebted to her for her leadership in starting.WOW, the group that makes our time in Colorado so very special. What wonderful women we have come to know and bond with over the years. Thank you Eileen. And Connie, I hear you play pickelball. Maybe we will partner in a game one day when you are back in Colorado; I could use a few pointers as I am a beginner!! - Ellyn Austin.
I met Eileen the first year I was in WOW, and I remember a nice sense of humor. Nice artist also. -Joey McKenna
EILEEN O'SULLIVAN
March 9, 1933-September 2, 2014
Eileen O'Sullivan was part of a small group of women who got together to paint en plein air in Summit County, Colorado. The initial group of 3 gradually began to grow and soon there were so many painters that some sort of organization was needed. Eileen suggested the name "Women of Watercolor" and she volunteered as its first president.
Eileen was raised in Queens, New York and her straight-forward view of life as a New Yorker never left her. She began her art career later in life after she retired. She said, "I'm giving myself ten years to get good at this!" So she threw herself into learning watercolor painting, taking workshops with esteemed teachers such as Stephen Quiller.
Eileen and her husband of 62 years, Connie, spent twenty summers in Breckenridge, Colorado where she was an avid member of the water aerobics group and a leader in WOW. She organized the first group exhibit which was held at the Speakeasy Theatre. Her philosophy for that show was that each artist should self-select her best work to put in the exhibit. That way, each woman would have the opportunity to present her art. WOW continues to this day with that concept and does not "jury" exhibits.
She also served on the Board of Directors of WASH, the Watercolor Arts Society of Houston. Eileen is survived by her husband, Cornelius J. O’Sullivan; children, Pamela O’Sullivan (58) and Carol Northcutt (57), Christopher (54) and Neil (46) as well as six grandchildren and a great grandson.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 10:30 AM at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail Drive, Houston, Texas 77079. A reception will follow mass on the church grounds.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, 14 Penn Plaza (Suite #1710) New York, New York 10122 or online at: www.ocrf.org. Visit www.DettlingFuneral.com to leave online tributes.
Below are some memories of Eileen from members of WOW:
I will always remember her spunk and smile and talent and love of Women of Watercolor. I will keep Connie and her family in my prayers. -Kevin Reynolds
I met Eileen the first day W.O.W! painted as a group by the river behind Connie's and her condo.(It was not yet W.O.W! but a group of about 9 women, most who had taken watercolor at CMC who wanted to keep painting together.) Together (with Judy Skovlin, our first president, Kathy Wahler, Cheryl Beck, Gere Baskin, Phyllis Montmeat, Betty Flint and Kathy Peyton) we named our group, developed our logo and had our first show...at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Frisco (August 19 to September 5, 1999.) The owners of the restaurant handed us the keys and, after closing, we took down the Log Cabin's art and under Eileen's expert supervision, hung our own! Our first opening party was "after the bar-b-q" 4:00-7:00 August 19. We reversed the hanging process at the end of the month. (Such trust they had in us!)
Eileen was our second president. Under her leadership we started to formalize our structure. I think this may be when we established dues and Kathy Wahler became our treasurer. Eileen was a stickler for the purity of watercolor media (like NO acrylic, even!) and uniformity of presentation (white and cream mats only...and NO barn wood!) She headed up our exhibition team for many years ...with Connie always helping and Kathy and Ron Wahler and even Bill and me often helping hang a show... Eileen got us the "Speakeasy" venue which was the site of our summer show for many years. And she got Doc P.J. to play bass for our openings!
Eileen may have led the first of our member run mini-workshops, doing a drip painting workshop on one of our first field trips to Redstone! It was a great idea that formally took off later. We had a W.O.W! farewell party at Carlos Miguel's when Eileen and Connie decided to leave the county a couple of years ago. We couldn't believe they were leaving. We were saddened. We are now even more saddened to mark Eileen's final passing...to that "great watercolor canvas in the sky."
We will miss you, Eileen, but are so glad to have known your vivacity, and to have worked with and learned alongside you. Peace be with you. - Sandi Bruns
I am so saddened by the passing of my friend and mentor Eileen. Eileen told me that she accumulated merit awards when she reached St Peters gate to get accepted into heaven. She told me on one occasion she brought a homeless women home, gave her a shower, fed her and handed her 20 bucks and sent on her way down the streets of Breckenridge. She told me this was a double award and she was so happy about doing these kind of of merit awards. I will never forget my dear and talented friend. -Kathy Wahler
I am so grateful to Eileen for being one of the original founders of Women Of Watercolor. She was such a driving force and a wonderful teacher to all of us who struggled to make a watercolor painting presentable at the end of a plein air session. Her critiques were always fair and encouraging with a sprinkling of humor thrown in. Above all she was a kind and thoughtful woman who was also a very talented artist. Thankfully, there are many of her works that can be seen and appreciated for many years to come. My thoughts and condolences go out to Connie and family at this very sad time. - Jan Lace
I have such fond memories of painting with Eileen in our WOW paintouts and other places as well. She used to invite me to paint at the stream behind her condo with her and was always eager to share her ideas and emphasize how she was not afraid of COLOR. She was so inspirational with her vibrant use of color. Once we sat along the road on Boreas Pass and painted the glorious autumn leaves. She was always happy and fun. I remember meeting her the first time I came to a WOW meeting at Phyllis's home. She was so friendly and welcoming. She taught us to pour paint on our trip to Redstone, and we had such fun traveling to Grand Lake together in my big green conversion van. She and Connie were quite special and both looked on the bright side of life. They were such a great team together. Eileen invited me to come by her condo and showed me all the paintings she did in a Quiller workshop, explaining each one and sharing what she had been taught. I am so glad I had one last opportunity to sit with her again as we painted in 2013 at the Giberson Ranch. What a beautiful day that was and such fun to be with Eileen again. She will be missed and we are all indebted to her for her leadership in starting.WOW, the group that makes our time in Colorado so very special. What wonderful women we have come to know and bond with over the years. Thank you Eileen. And Connie, I hear you play pickelball. Maybe we will partner in a game one day when you are back in Colorado; I could use a few pointers as I am a beginner!! - Ellyn Austin.
I met Eileen the first year I was in WOW, and I remember a nice sense of humor. Nice artist also. -Joey McKenna
