​Silent Sentinel
The official fundraising artwork for the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation's​ Tower #3 Restoration Project

​10% of all print profits go toward restoring the World War II observation tower featured in the painting.
36" x 24" oil on canvas and archival giclée prints
​by Ellen Rice

Original sold. Prints available.
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Silent Sentinel

  

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Ellen Rice created Silent Sentinel at the request of the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation to benefit the restoration of Delaware's World War II Watchtower #3 near Dewey Beach.

Rice is a founding member of the DSPF board, the same non-profit organization which restored the Indian River Life-Saving Station on U.S. Rt. 1 in the 1990s. 

"Since the restoration of the Indian River Life-Saving Station & Museum, the restoration of Tower #3 is a very special undertaking for the foundation, which is partnering with the Fort Miles Historical Association," said DSPF Board President Ernie Felici.

"We are very pleased Ellen decided to help us in our fundraising efforts by agreeing to portray the beauty and history of Tower #3 in oils. Her research and dedication to create this work was outstanding, resulting in a truly inspiring image."

In Silent Sentinel, Ellen painted the tower in a way that is unique to the way Delaware's 11 towers have been portrayed by artists, this time with an historic twist.

Painted at the top of the tower are two people representing either World War II local volunteers who manned the towers during the 1930s and ‘40s -- or visitors watching the sun rise someday in the not too distant future when the tower is fully restored.

"We discussed a lot of ideas," said Rice. "DSPF's board wanted an historic element in the painting to help tell the towers' unique history. We thought about including a jeep or a WWII plane and a few others ideas. It wasn't until I came up with the idea of people manning or visiting the tower that we knew we had the right idea."

"My idea was to portray a man and a woman silhouetted against a breathtakingly brilliant sunrise – a juxtaposition of the great natural beauty of our Delaware shoreline against a stark cement structure created three-quarters of a century ago out of the sand it stands on to protect our shores during a time of war.

"I wanted people to be able to look at this painting and feel they are part of it. I hoped they'd think about the spectacular the view from the people on top of the tower are seeing and question the tower's purpose. From comments I've been getting from people looking at the original in the gallery, the painting is doing its job. They're asking a lot of questions. I hope Silent Sentinel stirs new interest in the tower and contributes substantially to its restoration."

The original 36" x 24" oil on canvas of Silent Sentinel took Rice more than three months to complete, wielding her paintbrushes in the old master's style of painting in many thin glazes, a technique she uses to establish the depth and luminosity for which her work is known.

Rice is considered one of Delaware's most collectible artists. A resident of Sussex County, Delaware, since the summer of 1962, she's been painting the area's places, people and natural beauty since she was a teen and has been a full-time professional artist for more than 30 years.

Her works are wide ranging, reflecting interest in many aspects of life, and they can be found in more than 30,000 private, government and corporate collections worldwide.

Over the years, Ellen has created many works in support of historic restoration projects, most notably her oil, "The Last Watch," of the Indian River Life-Saving Station, which raised substantial amounts for the station's restoration.

Other historic subjects she's painted include the Gov. Ross and Lawrence mansions in Seaford, the Parson Thorne Mansion in Milford, the Woodland Ferry, the Fenwick Lighthouse, Bethel's Schooner Ram Victory Chimes, several local train stations and her nationally best-selling work of history and art, Treasure Beaches of the Mid-Atlantic​.

"The lessons of history are hard learned," said Rice. "It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words. It's my hope that Silent Sentinel will pique interest in Delaware's unique place in history and the world among young and old alike and that some lessons of war that might otherwise go overlooked will be passed on through this painting. Who knows what interest sparked in the mind of one small child might eventually accomplish?"
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