When she moved to Chadds Ford with her husband, George, in the 1970s, Helen Sipala did not know much about the area. But she learned quickly, thanks in part to the house they purchased, writes Gene Pisasale for the Chester County Press.
Sipala discovered that her home on Baltimore Pike — “Painter’s Folly” — was a part of the Samuel Painter family legacy. It dated back centuries. Through a series of marriages, childbearing years, coincidental friendships, and professional connections, the Painters linked to renowned artist Andrew Wyeth.
The Sipalas saw somebody outside their house in 1989 and asked him who he was. It was Wyeth, who was fascinated with the house. He visited regularly, becoming good friends with the couple. At their invitation, he occasionally stayed there while they were gone.
The home turned into his treasured sanctuary and the couple became his confidants. He created dozens of pictures at Painter’s Folly, some with Sipala as the model.
Sipala kept a diary of her interactions with the painter, which has now become a book, Beyond the Marriage Bed. In it, she details the many fascinating experiences she had both with Wyeth and others in the local art and entertainment world.
Read more about Helen Sipala in the Chester County Press.