Stories in Mist

November 15, 2010November 15, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

Dawn creeps through the mist, stealing night’s solitude.

Mist settling in between notes of soft music drifts through the room and out into the valley.

Between now and then is the shadow of self… wavering slightly in our imagination.

Sprout question: What stories are your soft edges telling?

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

Back in the mists of time (search.japantimes.co.jp)

Home becomes Gallery

November 12, 2010November 12, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 24 Comments

The transition is just about complete. For Saturday November 13^th and Sunday November 14^th our home will become a studio gallery for my:

* oil paintings

*large photography canvas prints

*2011 Sea, Land and Time Mayne Island calendars

*and, lots and lots of cards.

Would you like to tip toe through and have a wee peek? I thought you might. Leave your shoes at the door. The floors are heated and so cozy to walk on. Go on down the curved hall into the great room.

Feel free to stop and look on your way.

The sunroom area is not quite finished yet. The bed will be covered in cards by tonight, with a large canvas print resting on the headboard after I remove the pillows.

Now come up into “the private area” which is where we will have our breakfast…

and opposite of where my working studio is located.

Let’s look over the loft railing.

Well this is it. The cards are not out yet and there are still a few more pieces to hang but this gives you the general idea.

For those of you that are too far away to get any closer than this blog to these open studio days, you don’t need to miss out. Remember? Redbubble has a 15% sale on all my work in their online storefront. You can only get this deal if you order online. So there you go. Something for everyone.

Sprout question: When are you next presenting your creative work?

Have a wonderful weekend.

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

Redbubble Portfolio Sale

November 5, 2010November 15, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 12 Comments

Yesterday, redbubble started shaking bells and sending the Christmas spirit along by offering a 15% discount on all of my work. Even on this newest image of Mount Baker.

View and purchase full resolution here.

Even on my 2011 calendars. Even on all my most popular images. The whole works actually. Everything! What is a photographer and artist to do? Let you know of course!

To receive your discount, put in the following code when you go through the checkout process TerrillWelch_is_on_sale_9565

Note: this discount is only available for those that order my work directly online at redbubble.

And apparently, though I have been unable to confirm, this offer ends November 14, 2010.

Please, have a good look around my redbubble storefront at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch. Your favourites are all there.

Sprout question: How well do you roll with something that is unexpected?

P.S. Remember to change your clocks. This Sunday, November 7, 2010, Canada, US and Mexico FALL BACK to standard time.

Best of the weekend to you all!

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

RedBubble (scottpaterson.org)
Dentist Doctor and Birthdays (creativepotager)

The Human Figure

November 3, 2010November 3, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 20 Comments

Marks on a page are as distinctive as each of our human form. There is something profound that becomes apparent when drawing another human being with only muscles and skin over their bones. There is a trust and vulnerability for the model and also for the artist. I find that the drawing is as much about that relationship as it is about what the eye is seeing.

My husband, David Colussi, and I had been taking figure drawing classes for a few years in a row before moving to Mayne Island. We felt for sure that this was one of the things we had to give up when moving out of the city. But we were wrong. For the first time in three and a half years (and the first drawing David has done since his stroke just over a year ago) we went to class right here on our little island.

I have dispersed two each of our sketches of various lengths. If you run your cursor over the image it will tell you which one of us did the sketch and how long it took. As the weeks go on, we will see if there are others we want to share.

Sprout question: What is your creative relationship to the human figure?

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

Battersea Arts Centre preparing for Lynch mob (independent.co.uk)

Within

November 1, 2010October 29, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 16 Comments

This wave won’t take your breath away as it crashes to shore. It is going to swish over the sandstone and reach in near your heart, gently releasing, easing back to sea, only to reach forward again, and again. Let your worries and fears go with it. Fill with its strength each time the wave reaches forward. Be within.

Sprout question: What is your heart wanting to create?

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

Getting Better – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (travelpod.com)

The Distance Between

October 29, 2010October 29, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

The distance between summer and winter is the glorious colours of fall. The leaves on Mayne Island make for very subdued frocks compared to other parts of the world. Still we are not left out.

The maple trees are the biggest and brightest dancing and spinning before the winds and rains undress them.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased my redbubble calendars this week. You know who you are and I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did creating them. For those that are still interested, take your time, there is no rush yet. It is still a couple of weeks before redbubble sends me a notice to say they can’t be sure that a delivery will get to its destination before Christmas.

Speaking of redbubble, they just had a major re-design. Here is a link with a thumbnail of my All-Time-Popular images shown together http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch/portfolio/art . Very cool.

Sprout question: What creative seed are you planting so it will sprout for spring?

Best of the weekend to you!

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

294 of 365 is a autumnal maple leaf #Inkscape #drawing (365sketches.org)

The Duck That Came Wagging Its Tail

October 28, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

Yesterday we went for our usual afternoon walk and were greeted by an unexpected new friend.

The duck came talking and wagging its tail up to the property fence to say hello. I am sure one of the regular passersby must have offerings in their pocket. I was sorry we didn’t. What a delight. The duck had the softest voice and the most pleasant desire to have a good tongue wag – or rather tail wag…. bringing new meaning to the jingle “it’s not the size of the tail that matters but how you wag it.”

Of course we stopped to visit for a bit.

Sprout question: What unexpected creative guest has come wagging its tail lately?

Psst! Sam let us know on yesterday’s post that he has purchased a calendar – says he doesn’t think he will write in his either. Laurie said she isn’t either. I suggested that the large images on the heavy card stock can likely be framed for years of enjoyment – or as Sam and Laurie suggest the calendar can be kept as a piece of art in itself. Such fun!

If you are still thinking about ordering a calendar, here is a quick link to all three http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch/shop/calendars

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

It’s not the size of your tail, it’s how you wag it (adpunch.org)

Sweeping

October 27, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

Winds come in off the water, bending and moving the tree’s branches. Even still, these branches are sweeping, catching wisp of songs on the lips of the Salish Sea.

View and purchase full resolution image here.

The composition of this image is unusual, bringing the eye in from the left to the silhouetted trunk and closer as it crosses the frame on the sweeping branch, dropping down on the rocks and out to sea, only to come back again onto the far hill of misty trees. The sight line is an angled backwards Z. Like a piece of complicated music, it requires time to gather in its intricacies. This type of image, like a sentence with several parts connected by commas, is often broken down into smaller bites so we can devour it more quickly. I resisted. I kept its complicated-sweeping-whole and place the image in the Mayne Island Tree Spirits calendar’s month of June. It is there for me as much as I placed it there for you.

Sprout question: What creative principle have you resisted recently?

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

Tree Blocks: A Natural Building Toy that’s Easy to Craft (craftingagreenworld.com)

Dentist Doctor and Birthdays

October 26, 2010October 27, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 19 Comments

How many of you still use a hard copy calendar hung on a convenient wall to keep track of appointments, birthdays and holidays? Come on put your hand up. Way up so I can see it. Don’t be shy. Surely not everyone uses a blackberry, iphone, or the back of their wrist to keep track of things. Most people still have a big calendar with all sorts of notes written on it that they can easily reference with eyes blinking sleepily in the morning. Don’t they?

Actually, I have no real idea. I only know it is fun to take my new images for the year and make these lovely large calendars. Here are the three new calendars for 2011. Just click on each one and have a browse – much better than trying to remember to send a birthday card to Aunt Myrtle by the smudged ink on the back of your wrist…

Sea, Land and Time MAYNE ISLAND 2011

Mayne Island Tree Spirits 2011

And something a little different… Kitchen Company 2011

If you would like one to arrive before the New Year or get one for a Christmas gift, now is the time to order.

Yes, I know. I am shamelessly marketing but if you don’t know what I have in the store, how can you decided if you want to buy it? At the very least, you will get to have another look at some of the best images posted this year on Creative Potager. Now that shouldn’t be too painful. Enjoy!

Sprout question: How are you going to keep track of important creative dates in 2011?

AND if you have a calendar with your own creative work for 2011 be sure to leave a link with your response to the question above. I love looking at these calendars and seeing all your favourite pieces for the year.

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

Mayne Island Tree Spirits

October 22, 2010November 29, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 28 Comments

Mayne Island is a magical place and in the rolling fog off the water it is even more magnificent. The dryads, fairies, nymphs and tree spirits are just out of sight or maybe not? Let’s have a look.

The fog is thick and little can be seen along the shore trail.

The pine seems to bend back to let us past.

One branch reaching forward with pine needles harboring hope of something special… do you see anything?

Let’s head inland for a bit.

Light in coming through the mist.

A sense of missing.

Resting.

Reflections of trees caught in webs.

Watchful. Present.

Distant beauty.

Traveling into the mist.

Together.

Trees growing together.

Tall wonder.

Many of these images are part of Mayne Island Tree Spirits 2011 calendar.

Shall we stay awhile, wondering back through the trees to the shore? Maybe the old crone will be out on the point with her camera. She is often here – squinting when the light is bright.