Beauty in Death

September 10, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

“Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer It has chosen.” Minor White

View and purchase full resolution image here.

The arbutus leaves have died from drought not because it is fall. Arbutus leaves stay green all year except for those that are lost from the heat of summer. These leaves remind me of words from those left behind: “She looks so beautiful now that death has released the pain of disease from her face.”

Sprout Question: Where have you witnessed beauty in death?

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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Sea to Sky by the Salish Sea in September

September 9, 2010September 9, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 6 Comments

Traipsing along the shore by the Salish Sea in September is splendid. Yes, that is a lot of ‘s’ sounds. But never mind… shall we?

A stunning September day

Looking south is equally as inspiring.

Swhishsssssssssss…..

Gazing into the water with its layers of seaweed…

And then looking up again…

Sea to sky by the Salish Sea in September is Splendid.

Sprout Question: What is the colour you smell and hear in September?

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Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

In the Canada thistle patch

September 8, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 11 Comments

Purple blooms that turn into fluff heads.

View and purchase full resolution image here.

Thickly standing tall their prickly presence daring you to come close.

Blowing in the wind

View and purchase full resolution image here.

The Canada thistle is beautiful and it has a specific purpose in creating healthy soil by being one of the first plants to grow and creating nutrients for others to follow. Here is an article “Bye bye Canada Thistle” that tells the story.

Sprout Question: What have you creatively reclaimed, recognizing its inherent beauty and purpose?

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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Eat the green ones last

September 7, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 10 Comments

Not Smarties – blackberries. Their season of sun-filled juiciness is over. But there are still a few left. Even though they are not as good, I still pluck a partially green one off of the brambles to chew on as I walk…

Ah, one left.

And there is another one.

Then there are these. I see a wasp has broken into the juicy ripe casing of the one on the bottom ripe. It must be ready then. Let me see….

Sprout Question: If your creativity was a berry, which one would it be?

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Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Catching Fall

September 6, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 15 Comments

Even though it is a holiday Monday here in Canada and in the U.S.A., I am ready to resume my Monday to Friday posting schedule with more frequent and shorter posts. Today it is raining. The soft soaking kind of calm that leaves us reaching for our book and putting on a pot of homemade soup. Yesterday, the sun was out but the shade cool as we saw the beginning of the leaves falling.

Warm browns traced the edges of summer.

View full resolution and purchase catching fall here.

This week I will post images about catching fall as it sashays through on every breeze.

Sprout Question: Where is your focus right now?

P.S. The opening of Sea, Land and Time was a wonderful success with two large prints and one medium print selling along with cards and calendars. Plus, I had an offer to have my cards and calendars in a local décor store and possibly photograph prints as well. We shall see. Of course, two oil paintings had sold as part of the presales for the show. The best part is that we all had a great time. Family, friends and colleagues came from away. New friends, colleagues and acquaintances from Mayne Island came by and several helped with the opening. It was fabulous! Wish you could have been there.

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Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Break n Enter

September 2, 2010September 2, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 32 Comments

No it wasn’t my property, thankfully. But I’m sure these boat owners are not going to be happy when they discover these funny but smelly uninvited guests have trashed the place.

They’re caught red-pawed in the act. Handcuff those sea otter! (oops! I mean river otters. Special thanks to Ken Peterson from Monterey Bay Aquarium for the correction)

Photos were taken on the dock at Brentwood College in Mill Bay at 19 hours and 33 minutes on the 31st day of August 2010.

Sprout Question: What relationship does humour have to your creativity?

Note: My solo exhibition, Sea, Land and Time, opens tomorrow evening at 7:00 pm https://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/bring-your-cheque-book . And Creative Potager has a new page Artist Biography .

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Purchase photography at http://www.redbubble.com/people/terrillwelch

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Bring your cheque book

August 29, 2010August 29, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 26 Comments

There is something I forgot to tell you about my solo art exhibition, Sea, Land and Time, opening this coming Friday, September 3, 2010 at 7:00 pm. Bring your cheque book or cash. There are a few smaller pieces, such as cards and calendars and small photographs printed on canvas, but some of the larger oil paintings are over a thousand dollars. I personally recommend you bring your cheque book. I do not accept credit cards and I wouldn’t want you to leave disappointed.

I have heard from many of you and I am extremely excited to see your smiling face. It is a busy long weekend on Mayne Island so you will want to secure your sleeping arrangements in advance. Hum, that does sound like an interesting proposition doesn’t it?

Here are a few of links that you may find useful in your planning.

BC Ferries http://www.bcferries.com (read the ferry schedule carefully it is the most complicated schedule in the world changing with each day)

Mayne Island Accommodations http://www.mayneisland.com/accommodation/index.htm

Specific information about SEA, LAND AND TIME https://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/sea-land-and-time

Just to let you know, two oil paintings have already sold during the publicity for this show. Come early for the best selection.

If you are not able make it, leave a sprout anyway and wish me happy birthday. I always love to hear from you. Yes it is my birthday today or rather that would be yesterday in blogging time 🙂

Sprout Question: What sprout question are you asking yourself today?

P. S. I am away all day Tuesday. The next post will be on Thursday. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Note: Creative Potager has a new page Artist Biography .

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

Falling Sun

August 26, 2010August 27, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 16 Comments

As the tiredness of the end of summer swings into the soft cloud-covered dawn, I notice a sunflower on the deck and think of a falling sun. Labour Day weekend is approaching. The days are shorter and the nights cooler. On the island, the tension between those who will stay for the winter and those that are seasonal or tourist is palatable. Smiles are slightly tight around the edges of lips between those longing for solitude and those wishing they could stay.

But these tight lipped words are seldom spoken with the tension that rests on the morning dew. If said at all, they are said in jest. Next year will bring another fresh sparkling sun-kissed summer, another brilliant sunflower.

Sprout Question: Is there a shift in your creativity come fall?

Note: Creative Potager has a new page Artist Biography and a post announcing my solo exhibition “SEA, LAND AND TIME.” Please share both as appropriate.

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

Sagebrush blue dawn

August 24, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

I wake sleepily from disturbing dreams where I walk across a border crossing into the U.S. with plans to take a bus somewhere into a city I don’t know. Then miss the bus and it is dark. The morning’s soft edges and my dream bring me back to earlier this summer and the high desert in Oroville Washington. There was a photograph I wanted to play with. Let’s have a look….

View full resolution and purchase print of painting here.

Can you hear the morning dove? Is the sagebrush perfuming your lungs with a slight hint of damp dust from the night’s thunder showers?

Sprout Question: How did you greet the dawn today?

Note one: Yesterday Sam Juilano, from Wonders in the Dark, posted an interview with me that if you haven’t already read you might want to wander over to Artist and Nature-Lover Terrill Welch: Mayne Island’s resident Creativepotager. Special thanks to all Creative Potager readers and twitter followers who have already been and commented. And an extra special thank you to Sam. Though I find it overwhelming to see my ordinary life so extraordinarily presented, it has been fun.

Note two: Creative Potager has a new page Artist Biography and a post announcing my solo exhibition “SEA, LAND AND TIME.” Please share both as appropriate.

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

Big Fat Red Champion

August 17, 2010August 17, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 16 Comments

I have been painting but that is not what I want to show you this morning. Remember back in April when I showed you the new garden bed I was digging? There is a big fat red champion in that garden I would like you to meet.

We already ate his bigger cousin sliced thick with fresh basil, sea salt and hand ground black pepper on homemade oat and honey bread. Soooo good! But this fellow is a good size as well. Let’s get a bit of a closer look.

Yep looks and feels delicious.

Our recent warm spell has started these tomatoes ripening on the vine. They are only two weeks behind those grown in local organic greenhouses. We have those huge fir trees all around us and this is the most sun I could find in the yard within the deer fence. So I decided to give it a try. I’m impressed because the sun doesn’t reach the plot until 10:00 am and it is in the shade again by 4:00 pm.

Look at that – a full 3.5 inches across. The small tag in the ground tells me these are Champion Tomatoes. I have four kinds of tomatoes growing. There are these big guys, a patio tomato and two kinds of tomatoes that volunteered from the compost I put down.

We are also eating baby carrots and green beans. The lettuce greens and peas are about finished and I have lots to dill for salads. However, it is these large plump tomatoes that really make me smile. This fall I will double the size of this garden bed for next year.

Delightful and supportive Leah Piken Kolidas is hosting the theme of FIRE for the month of August at Creative Everyday. I think these large plump red tomatoes qualify.

History tip: Did you know that in the early 1930s Japanese farmers of Active Pass Growers Association had eight acres of tomatoes under glass and produced 50 tons of tomatoes a year for the city of Vancouver B.C.? Source – Mayne Island & The Outer Gulf Islands A History by Marie Elliott.

Sprout Question: What creative gifts has the heat of summer warmed for you?

Note: Creative Potager has a new page Artist Biography and a post announcing my solo exhibition “SEA, LAND AND TIME.” Please share both as appropriate.

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