How does the song go? Two out of three ain’t bad?
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post heavy cloud cover made it undesirable to paint. Hence, only two of three paintings are completed. But better two than none which might have been the case if I had not set the intention on Monday morning. Can I admit to being just a little excited about sharing the results of this weeks work? I hope you don’t mind but if you could see my face there would be this grin from ear-to-ear.
I will likely take other photographs of both these oil paintings on a brighter day but for now this is what we have…
BREAKING THROUGH
(36” X 48” by 1 ¾ inch cotton canvas original oil painting)
FOREST
(18” X 14” by 1 ½ inch cotton canvas original oil painting )
If you are interested in purchasing either of these paintings please contact me directly at tawelch@ shaw.ca .
I am sure we may all agree that these two paintings are very different. Yet, I recognize them both as being painted in my usual impressionist style. As the artist, I can stand back and see my struggles and successes to capture, to express and to embrace my creative process. This is why I am excited and why I am beaming with satisfaction – it is for the love of painting and seeing something through to completion!
Sprout question: What are you noticing about your creative process this week?
© 2011 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.
Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch
Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Creative Potager 
These are beautiful. I love all the brush strokes, they give me so many opportunities to get lost in the painting.
Thank you Josie. Being able to have pronounced brush strokes is something I really enjoy about painting with oils. which is very different from working with water colours. However, people used to say they could see my oil painting influences in my water colour paintings. Here is a link to “Last of the Season” for people who have never seen my water colour painting.
Terrill – I love both of the paintings, but “Breaking Through” is especially captivating. I would love to live in your head for the creation of just one piece, start-to-finish. To feel what it feels like to brush your way to an end result that is so satisfying. For someone who can barely manage a decent stick figure (me), that would be exhilerating.
Sprout question: What are you noticing about your creative process this week?
I’m shifting gears as we reach our weekend (Sunday and Monday for us). I have a different focus – curriculum and HolEssence newsletter. That’s not nearly as “fun” for me as writing articles or sidebars for my manuscript, but necessary all the same.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Laurie I wouldn’t mind being inside my head for the creation of a piece as well! 😉 I find there is an all-encompassing letting go to breath and vision that has nothing much to do with the thinking part of my brain. Painting and photograph are whole-body experience for me. This kind of almost altered state lasts sometimes for hours after I have finished painting or returned from a photo shoot. After that I can then critically review a work for necessary adjustments which is why paintings have a “rest period” before deciding they are complete. It is not unlike writing but for me these are an more seamless processes. As I switch from brush to palette knife my painting brain doesn’t miss a beat. The same is true for photography. I can change my camera settings without losing the fluidity of capturing the image in front of me. When writing I often have to pause my creative flow to put in punctuation or correct spelling etc. I have tried just writing and avoiding all this but it is too irritating to edit after the fact. I never feel that way about painting. All the “drafts” underneath simple add texture and depth to the work. The same is true for photography where I often edit late into the evening which is a time I rarely can read or write. Hope this gives you a glimpse Laurie. Best of the weekend to you as well. Good luck on that curriculum development. What is the new course?
Wonderful, both! Sensitive color harmonies in the first image…Also it’s quite atmospheric.
What have I noticed about my creative process this week? That I’m getting more confident.
Thank you Stephanie! Confidence is great! Congratulations and the best of the weekend to you.
Great work, Terrill. I like that they are different styles; the difference in styles brings a different energy to each painting. I must say, in “Forest”, I see a Emily Carr type influence. I like it.
My creative progress shifted gears completely and I did a bunch of sewing this week. Methodical, step by step. Pin, sew, iron. Quite different from painting, but I can’t wait to wear the tunic I almost have finished.
Sue I am not surprised that you may think of Emily Carr influences with Forest. It is the same forest that she struggled to express. And I am honoured to have may work be seen as having “a Emily Carr type influence” as she has definitely influenced me as an artist.
Sounds like one tunic is about ready for wearing. Congratulations Sue! Have a great weekend and say “hi” to everyone for me.
Congratulations!
I agree with clear intent things are much easier–that’s what I rediscovered this week.
Best wishes for continued success
Thanks Leanne. Glad you had a chance to stop by. Best of the weekend to you 🙂
“Breaking Through” feels like a far away land in another world where I once lived. I’ll bet I could conjor a whole story around this painting if I let myself. Thank you Terrill, what a delightful gift. I only worked with oils once, back in college. I remember them being more stuborn to manage than acrylics – You have done an excellent job of getting them to behave here.
What I’m noticing about my creative process is this. All I have to do is have the slightest incling of an idea and the process grabes it like wild fire in a dry forest and before I know it, all’s ablaze. This is such a relief. For some reason I have been laboring under the delusion that I had to do it all myself!! So untrue. I don’t have to “do” anything except “be” willing to engage with the process. This is where the fun starts!!
Alison, I was laughing with delight while reading your comment “I don’t have to “do” anything except “be” willing to engage with the process. This is where the fun starts!!” I find it such a thrill when creativity grabs “like wild fire!”
I like both of your painting but enjoy the lively motion and color in “Forest” especially.
This week my creative process has been caught up in my life living in a five-ring circus!
Monti
NotesAlongTheWay
Sounds like a busy and crazy time Monit… drop by anytime you feel like enjoying a quieter space 🙂
BREAKING THROUGH does remind me of “Tree Spirits” but of course we are talking of two different forms here. It’s truly magnificent. I love FOREST as well, but I’d say the first is a masterpiece. Your work just gets better and better and better…..
Our creative process this week has again been tempered with the promise of yet another massive snowstorrm on Tuesday. Frustration, consternation, and weary has been greeting the continual updates on this front. I like snow to a point, but after a while……well……you know…..
Sam you got it exactly right! BREAKING THROUGH is loosely influenced by the “Mayne Island Tree Spirits” series and more specifically on “Tall Wonder.” However, the mist and fir trees surrounding me while I painted this painting were of equal influence. Plus there is the part of ourselves that always shows up when we are creating. My most favourite trees are poplar trees and I had to keep reminding myself that these were fir trees. One of the composition challenges was that this grove of fir trees is second growth following what appears to be a fir. The trees are all about the same age and competing for the same light. They are all about the same size and tall trees with very few branches except near the top.
So sorry to hear Sam that you are still snowed in. That does get tiresome after awhile. We were to have cloud and sun over the weekend and during the week ahead but looks like it is more rain and mist. I just keep taking my vitamin D and telling myself – six weeks, in six weeks we will be well on our way to spring.
Pingback: “Johnny Mad Dog,” “The Company Men,” “The Way Home,” “The Leopard” and off-Broadway play “The Divine Sister” on Monday Morning Diary (January 24) « Wonders in the Dark
These are gorgeous… oh, the breaking through, reminds me of the poem by Ellen Bass…. which I can not seem to find anyplace online… here:
“After, after you will look.
You will acknowledge. You will
See through the opening you have cleared.”
Ellen Bass
Love it. Thank you!
Julie you are welcome. I had never heard of the poet Ellen Bass. Thank you so much for sharing.
Pingback: HEAVY CLOUD original oil painting by Terrill Welch « Creativepotager's Blog