Shows and Exhibitions

Capturing the Emotion of the Canadian Landscape is No Easy Task

/ Terrill Welch / 23 Comments

Share Your Love of Art! Share Your Love of Canada!

ARABELLA invites you to become a part of our Great Canadian Landscape Painting contest!  Register and cast your vote for your favourite artists and their works!

A while back, I was invited to consider competing in the Arabella Canadian Landscape Contest. The six year old Arabella magazine had made an audacious proposal to tell Canada’s story through contemporary art by creating an outstanding collection of current works that examine the emotional power of landscape art in shaping Canadian identity with a full sense of past, present and future. Though I do not usually bother with art competition, with a proposal like this how could I refuse?

The contest is now at a point where I need your help. The Exhibit of over 100 participating artists and 300 paintings is now open for voting and commenting in the People’s Choice Award. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to register, vote and comment on my three paintings that are part of this Canadian landscape art competition. Also, if you could share this blog post in your networks I will be ever-so-grateful. The direct link to my three paintings in the competition is at http://aclcontest.arabelladesign.com/photos/index.php?/category/62

The paintings that I submitted will be familiar to most of you. They are:

SLICED WITH A TEAR – 36 X 60 inch oil on canvas

RHYTHM OF THE SEA EDITH POINT – 20 x 40 inch oil on canvas

And EVENING AND THE ARBUTUS TREE 36 x 60 inch oil on canvas

To register to vote and comment on these paintings in this Canadian landscape art competition, go to the Login details on the upper left on my competition page HERE. I know registering, voting and commenting in an art competition is a lot to ask. However, a comrade on Google Plus has helped me to reframe this request with his comment as follows:

It is hard to ask of others for some people – I’m one and you are as well. But you are really not asking for anything..You are giving it!  If you did not post this I would never have known or suspected that I could make a difference in your world other [than] by comments.  You are giving me a way to thank you that I never had.  Your paintings and musings make me feel good and take me away from concrete and glass.  For this I am grateful and am in your debt–not vice versa..   Someday I’m going to see you in the McMichael*….You deserve to be there!

By Dennis Rogers

* Renowned for collecting only Canadian art, the McMichael Gallery permanent collection consists of almost 6,000 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Métis, Inuit and other artists who have made a contribution to the development of Canadian art.

Isn’t this a nice way to look at my asking you to drop by register, vote and comment on my paintings that are in the competition? Since so many of you are regular readers and often comment here on the blog I decided to be brave and ask for your support. So thank you and special thanks to those of you who have already dropped in voted and commented. I deeply appreciate the effort.

Your votes will count in determining the winner of the People’s Choice Award, just one of the great prizes being offered in this contest.  All prizes will be awarded in August 2013 at the conclusion of the jurying process. Please note that in order to vote you must register an account. Email data requested is only used for the contest and will not be used for any other purpose.

Now I am going to do something that may seem odd for a participant in a nation-wide art competition. I am going to share with you a few favourite works by other artists. I feel that these works collectively do a brilliant job of fulfilling the task of expressing the emotional impact of the Canadian Landscape. I have hyperlinked each artist’s name so that you can go directly to their competition profile and see any additional work they may have contributed. Possibly you may even take the time to vote and comment too.

Holly Friesen – an artist I have introduced to you in the past.

Holly’s connection between our inner world and the landscape moves me deeply as the painting stretches, encircles and holds my emotions.

Maryanne Jespersen

Maryanne has a lovely colour harmony and loose expression in this painting leaving lots of room for the viewer’s imagination.

Michael O’Toole – with just this one painting in the contest Michael has captured so much about the west coast of Canada.

There are six artists whose first name is Peter in this competition. I am not sure if this says something about the popularity of the name Peter in Canada or not. But you are excused if you have a hard time keeping them straight and instead resort to just using their last names. I am going to share four of these six “Peter” artists next – with both their first and last names 🙂

Peter Adams

There is strength in less when we dare to be bold and vulnerable as is  so aptly demonstrated by Peter Adams here.

Peter McConville – again with only one work in contest it is worth going to his profile and following the link to see others of his pointillism style paintings.

Not often is so much movement captured in such detailed work as in Peter’s landscapes.

Peter Rotter

Slipping into to the woods is easy in Peter’s painting. Yes there is an opening beyond but my viewer’s eye is in no rush, allowing the trees to fold me into their peace, their stillness.

Peter Stuhlmann

The gorgeous use of design and colour by Peter allows me to pull away from the specifics of the scene and appreciate the whole and then be drawn back into the landscape – again and again.

Rich Bond  – a fellow British Columbia artist with six paintings in the contest making it hard to choose just one to share with you.

Patches of colour, harmonious and pleasant, seeking the trust of the viewer’s eye to find and accentuate the landscape elements independent of the painter. It is a rare gift to paint with such strength and conviction that any ego remnants of the painter are submissive to the landscape and its relationship to the viewer.

Well, this gives you a small taste of eleven of the over 300 paintings in the Arabella Canadian Landscape Contest. There are many more to browse and enjoy on the contest Exhibition website – which collectively really do capture the beauty and emotional spirit of Canada.

Yes, I am fully aware that this kind of sharing of the other participants art is not actually conducive to winning a People’s Choice Award for this competition. However, this is not my motivation for sharing the work of these fellow artists. Five years from now the People’s Choice award will likely be lost in the litter of our everyday lives. We will have moved on (artists and viewers alike) – we will have forgotten about the registering, voting and commenting. But just possibly the Canadian landscape itself will be strong and present to you through the work of these artists and through my own paintings. This chance to have a lasting impact on your experience of the land I love and the country I love is why I share these additional works by my fellow contemporary Canadian landscape artists. I hope you enjoyed the experience.

Now wish me luck and I look forward to reading your comments on my paintings in the Arabella Canadian Landscape Contest for the People’s Choice Award.

What emotions most aptly capture the Canadian Landscape for you?

© 2013 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.

Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.

Creative Potager – Visit with painter and photographer Terrill Welch

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

For gallery and purchase information about Terrill’s photographs and paintings go to http://terrillwelchartist.com

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private studio visit and art sales at la ca de inspiracion on Mayne Island

/ Terrill Welch / 8 Comments

Artists often do open studio days but the real gem for art collectors and artists is the private and personalized studio visit. I do a few of these each year and I treasure every one. How it works is an interested art buyer or small group of collectors emails or phones me to set up a private studio visit to our home and my studio space. I ask a few questions about what they are interested in viewing and set up our space to accentuate these interests. This weekend my visitor was interested in my paintings and in particular in finding one for a new art space that was created as part of a recent renovation of her home.

In a moment of clarity I thought that readers and collectors from afar may also enjoy coming by as part of this private and personalized studio visit. So after everything was ready I took the time to do this home-style youtube art studio visit with my iPad. Here it is if you care to join me…

As a result of this visit, a painting that was released just last week will be going to live with this new collector in British Columbia, Canada.

WINTER SUN II  –  18 x 24 inch oil on canvas

Winter Sun II 18 x 24 inch oil on canvas by Terrill Welch 2013_05_28 279

This painting is going to go to a place where it will be loved and appreciated for many years into the future. The new owner tells me how she can see already how much this painting will change as the light changes. She is imagining how her family will watch the painting and notice different aspects at different times of day – a practice that is not really any different that watching the sea itself.

Feeling a sense of peace and being in alignment with my purpose in the world, my husband and I went out for a late lunch to celebrate at the Bennett Bay Bistro. The deck overlooking the bay is divine mid-afternoon.

Upon returning home the phone rang. A breathless request zipped through the lines from a collector in Alberta, Canada. She wanting to know if the painting ISLAND WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE was still available and if so,  could she to buy it. I had just posted the painting for sale the previous day in the Artsy Home gallery and I hadn’t even had a chance to put it up on my  Terrill Welch Artist website.

ISLAND WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE 8 x 10 inch oil on canvas.

Island with the Lighthouse 8 x 10 inch oil on canvas by Terrill Welch 2013_05_28 272

I said it was and yes she could buy it. Full of emotion she explains how every Sunday she goes to the Artsy Home online gallery to see what new work I have posted. When she saw this small painting of the Mayne Island lighthouse as it is seen from the ferry, the experience brought tears to her eyes. Her husband noticing her reaction and said he would buy the painting for her for her birthday. At this point I had a lump in MY throat and tears in my eyes. To think that such a small painting could have such a significant impact on others!

My inspiration for this painting comes from describing where we live to others. The southern gulf islands are not always easy to name individually if you are unfamiliar with how they relate to one another. Mayne Island is often described as the island with the lighthouse as it is viewed from the ferry traveling from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island. This small window to the sea is what you might view on a fine day from that ferry as you near the entrance to Active Pass.

What is YOUR most treasured way to share your creative results with others?

Thank you dear readers as always for your ongoing support and comments here on Creative Potager. It is an honour and a pleasure to visit with you from my art studio and home on Mayne Island on the southwest coast of Canada.

© 2013 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.

Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.

Creative Potager – Visit with painter and photographer Terrill Welch

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

For gallery and purchase information about Terrill’s photographs and paintings go to http://terrillwelchartist.com

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Wait and See

/ Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

My last 2 weeks have been an emotional soup of events. Hence, you have not seen a new post on this Creative Potager blog. The story goes something like this….

Wednesday, November 7th – fell down the thirteen steps of the stairs from the loft and had to go to Victoria to get x-ray of arm to make sure it was not broken. Badly bruised on right side but fine.

Will my right shoulder freeze again from the trauma? I hope not and it feels pretty good right now but we will have to wait and see.

Saturday, November 10th – hung a new  show of small oil paintings and photographs at the Green House Bar and Grill. There are seventeen works up one of which is this one…

(Navy Channel early November – 9 x 12 inch oil on canvas is now SOLD! updated January 18, 2013. Other paintings that are currently available can be viewed in detail and purchased HERE)

Will work find its way to new homes over the holidays? Maybe. We will have to wait and see.

Sunday, November 11th – received phone call at 5:45 am from son-in-law that new grand baby was on its way. Caught the first ferry at 8:45 am, arrived at the Duncan hospital at 10:50 am. Grandson born at 11:36 am. Ivor Lewis is 7.7 lb. Everyone healthy and well. I was there for the birth.

He meets is brother before going home the next day barely 24 hours old.

Will they be close to each other? We will have to wait and see.

Thursday, November 15th – Return home to Mayne Island arriving shortly after noon. A short time later receive call that life-long friend is gravely ill and in hospital. The next couple of days extremely intense as we wait and see if his condition will stabilize.

Saturday, November 17th – I write a poem.

Wait and See

Not all mornings begin with bright glorious light,
that soars across the sky,
offering a colourful welcome to a new day.

Some mornings seem to uncover the dawn,
with the quiet heaviness of damp wool blankets.

There is no immediate pleasure or drawing up of the spirit.

It is the kind of dawn that says  – we will have to wait and see.
Sunday, November 18th – I complete the underpainting for a large 3 x 5 foot canvas.

What will the painting be like? We shall have to wait and see.

In all of this, I am thankful for the support and love of my husband David, my children and my step-children and their partners and my extended family. They are an amazing lot…  full of strength, compassion with just the right amount of  humour. My love goes out to those that are close to me as they face the challenges ahead. And just as I write this I received a phone call that my very close life-long friend is on the mend. Yippee!

Sprout: What might you be waiting to see?

ONLINE GALLERIES with Terrill Welch paintings and photography include-

Xanadu Studio Gallery for large original paintings

Artsy Home for most original oil paintings currently available

Redbubble for photography prints, greeting cards and posters

Current Local Mayne Island VENUES –

Green House Restaurant – small original oil paintings and photography prints

Farm Gate Store – one large painting

And by appointment at Terrill Welch’s home studio

© 2012 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

Terrill Welch Artist website at http://terrillwelchartist.com

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Second Hanging – this time at the Green House Bar and Grill

/ Terrill Welch / Leave a comment

A hanging of small proportions happened on May 2, 2012 at the Green House Bar and Grill. No it is not an act of violence on quiet Mayne Island this week but rather the unveiling of the second exhibit of my art work. This time it is a new collection of fourteen of my small photography prints and oil paintings.

Before I take you for a stroll around the restaurant to see what is here, let me introduce you to Shawn who prepared me the most delicious grilled salmon with green salad for lunch. Hanging a new show is hungry work you know 😉 Standing beside Shawn is the owner of the Green House Bar and Grill, Gerry McCulloch, who will serve you up a smile before you even have time to sit down.

So be ready for it should you have the chance to grace this warm and friendly establishment here on our small island. Now how about we have a look around?

These seven here are the main part of the show…

The two smallest oil paintings are only 5 x 7 inches. There is room for one of these in almost any suitcase, backpack or even a bicycle saddlebag. For those that are far way, the other three oil paintings shown here can be purchased from the Artsy Home Online Gallery. But for the little wee ones you will have to email me directly to inquire until I get a chance to get them included with the others.

Here is a couple more small oil paintings….

Again, the little one at the bottom is not listed in the online gallery yet. Soon, I promise but not yet.

And a couple of photography prints…

Most of the photographs in this showing are from my 2012  Earth Day Celebration collection and can be purchased in various formats and sizes from a special album on  smugmug HERE. This collection includes some of my personal favourite of recent images of Mayne Island and neighbouring Gulf Islands.

Another  small window to the sea over in the corner…

And here are the final two photography prints…

These piece will be shown until about mid July if you are on Mayne Island and want to stop in for nice meal and have a closer look.

Some places just feel like all the best parts of being at home. The Green House Restaurant is one of these places. It is a true honour and a privileged to have my paintings and photography prints contributing to this experience.

However, you may notice that the beautiful photographs of my colleague Barbara McIntyre are missing. This is the result of yet another hanging on Mayne Island that will be opening on May 12, 2012. On Tuesday, I am planning taking us behind the yellow tape so we can be some of the first to scene. Until then my friends may you have a chance to see the supermoon this evening while enjoying the simple and good things your life has to offer.

SPROUT: If you were going to do a creative hanging where would you most likely to perform the act and who would you invite to the scene?

© 2012 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

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Spring Studio Sale – Art is not ART until it is SOLD

/ Terrill Welch / 12 Comments

Today five original oil paintings have returned to my studio from the venue where they were being shown. This event reminds me of a quote that was supposedly said by one artist to another…

“Art isn’t art until it’s sold. Until then it’s an obsession and a storage problem.” ~Anonymous

I am not sure I necessary agree. Art in my mind has little to do with sales – though those are always appreciated. However, I do believe that a spring cleaning sale is in order or else we may have to move out just to make room for my paintings.

With this in mind, the following FIVE 18 X 24 inch oil on archival quality gallery wrapped cotton canvas with roughly finished edges have been reduced from $1,200 to $900 plus shipping for the next week beginning today, Wednesday March 28, 2012 until Wednesday April 4, 2012 midnight P.D.T.

These paintings are all available for immediate purchase in the Artsy Home online gallery and include:

WINTER SUN

CLICK –> BUY to reach the “Buy it Now” button on the right at Artsy Home.

OWL’S VIEW

CLICK –> BUY to reach the “Buy it Now” button on the right at Artsy Home.

CABIN ON SHORE

CLICK –> BUY to reach the “Buy it Now” button on the right at Artsy Home.

EAST POINT CLIFFS

CLICK –> BUY to reach the “Buy it Now” button on the right at Artsy Home.

FAR SHORE

CLICK –> BUY to reach the “Buy it Now” button on the right at Artsy Home.

 

If you already own one or more of my original paintings or if you purchase more than one of these paintings I will give you an additional $100 collectors discount on each painting purchased.

Paintings are SOLD with my usual Artist’s Satisfaction Guarantee:

Unharmed and safe return of the purchased painting to the Artist, at the cost of the buyer, within 30 days of receiving the purchase will result in a full refund of the purchase price by artist Terrill Welch.

If you have any further questions or would like to make your purchase arrangements directly with me please email me at tawelch@shaw.ca

In addition, with each purchase I will include a signed copy of PRECIOUS SECONDS – Mayne Island in paintings and photographs, volume one.

Of course, if the paintings do not sell, they will be returned to new increase over the original price at the close of this sale and will be shown in another venue beginning in May. Yes, you read correctly – the price of all of my work is going up on May 1, 2012.

So this is rare an opportunity indeed. But no harm will be done if the paintings remain in my gallery collection awhile longer. After all, most of the work is less than two years old. In the past eighteen months, there have been eighteen paintings finding new homes across the globe. It is all good and makes this artist smile.

I look forward to wrapping your painting for you and putting it in the mail.

Please share with others that you think might be interested.

© 2012 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

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Twice Around

/ Terrill Welch / 12 Comments

Today is twice around the calendar year for Creative Potager. As part of my seasonal rest period, I have not posted for 25 days. It has been almost a month since I entertained a sprout question or gathered together my thoughts for a submission to all you wonderful creative beings. Yet, I have been thinking about Creative Potager – about its purpose and how it provides a sustaining sense of direction and community for me and maybe even for you.

The year of 2011 has seen many paintings completed and photographs captured. There have been interviews and guest post on other blogs. We have entertained special Salish Sea Saving days, home studio tours and seen publications of work in brochures, newspapers and on the glossy front page of a regional magazine Island Gals.

There has been the release of my new book Precious Seconds – Mayne Island in painting and photographs which many of you now have in your possession.

There has been the successful STUDY OF BLUE solo exhibition with more than half of my original oil paintings sold and finding their way to new homes.

I have received recognition for my photography and won several website features. Paintings, books and photography and painting prints, calendars and cards have been sold to buyers around the world. The introduction of Google Plus has offered a whole new community of more than 10,000 artists, photographers and art lovers have “circled” my profile.

I have been invited by a new online Gallery ArtsyHome to show my paintings and my latest original paintings are now easily available for purchase by international buyers.

On all fronts, it has been a creatively successful fine art year for me, one where Creative Potager has been a central connection for sharing my adventures.

However, a question seems to be presenting itself without a satisfying or conclusive answer:

 

What is next for Creative Potager?

 

My Google plus has scooped up much of my Twitter community and its micro blogging with gorgeous image capacity makes separate blog posting less of a necessity and in many ways less of a hub for connecting with my much larger Google Plus community. My Facebook has always been about family and closer friends for but it is not really a place of deeper contemplation and creative connection. I link these readers to Creative Potager for this even if they reply on Facebook. Some of you are part of all of my various social platforms. Others connect only here on Creative Potager or in only one or two other networks. So there is always the risk of repeating posts for some of you and of missing out on opportunities for others. Each platform comes with its own time commitment which is starting to take away from, rather than enhance, my actual creative process. I know I must shift and change something.

 

What should I do?

 

Some ideas are taking root but nothing has grown large enough to be a distinguishable pattern of lines and shapes. So, though it is the second anniversary of our creative connection here in the blogosphere, we must be patient until such time as the flip-flopping musings inside my head settle into a discernible direction. In the meantime, I shall post more frequently in a micro blogging fashion that is dispersed across my various social networking platforms. As my readers, you can choose your favourite means of connection to engage in our conversations. It matters not really though I do like to see the comments directly on the blog post because they are more lasting here and it is easier to skip through to your own posts.

 

The “sprout question” will become more sparsely presented as simply “Sprout.”

 

I shall also add a “Seed” which is a seed for creativity, learning and discover. It is a study element that I am introducing into my upcoming year. I thought you might like to be privy to this “seed planting” as well. “Seeds” shall generally have links and will only share a snippet to entice further exploration.

 

Possibly, not all posts will have a “seed” or “sprout.” Some may only have a photograph, a paragraph or painting. We shall just have to wait and see. Posts will have no prescribed time of day or days of the week. By now I trust that I shall post regularly. I desire maximum flexibility to create and to connect with a spontaneity that keeps both fresh and engaging and exciting. This is built on my belief and trust that both shall happen without prescription because they do.

 

Intention: For me, according to the answer to my I Ching question, this is anticipated to be a year of modesty and moderation. It appears to be a time of balancing extremes and harmonizing interests and requires a modest and sincere attitude and the limiting of obvious excesses while exposing myself to new areas of experience.  This is also a time of conflict, external or internal, and one of spiritual maturing. It may lead to reconsidering my original premise. My intention is to be open, curious and unattached to what I know to be true so I can explore and honour what is yet unknown to me. Oh where might this take us? It promises to be a grand adventure.

 

As the sun comes close to setting on 2011, thank you so much for being and continuing to be part of my creative journey.

(image may be purchased HERE) 

As we shoot for the moon…

(image may be purchased HERE) 

 

with our arms full of flowers…

(image may be purchased HERE) 

 

Sprout: What is currently soft and undefined in your creativity?

 

Seed: What new might we learn about composition? Has it changed through time? Are their histories of creativity that have handled composition with different views? These are the questions I am musing about as I begin my next painting. Let’s start with a good grounding in the basics of composition that are available on wikipedia.

 

 

© 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

 

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Flying Through Home Studio Gallery Day

/ Terrill Welch / 21 Comments

The Studio Tour was a great success with one original oil painting HENDERSON HILL sold to a collector of my work in Victoria B.C. Canada. You may remember that this painting was recently featured on the front of the regional magazine Island Gals. I will miss this piece but know it is going to a good home where it will be most appreciated.

Also large numbers greeting cards were clutched into admiring hands and are now ready for postage as an occasion presents itself. Notices were taken away to order my new book Precious Seconds along with information to follow my blog for new work and to order specific prints online at my redbubble storefront.

 

Mostly though, it was a great day meeting interesting people and talking about the wonders of the southern gulf islands. Considering it poured rain most of the day and was dark and dreary the sun shone brilliant with all the company at la casa de inspiracion.

 

Here are a couple of photographs from a few minutes before the first visitors arrived. I took them from above. Hence, this inspires the title of today’s post.

And if you look down into the sunroom….

There are more photographs and paintings than you can see here but one painting just outside of our view is part of a special project and I am not sharing it online yet. So you have to wait.

Best of the week to you and may you be inspired to create!

 

 

Sprout Question: What are you flying through 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

 

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Studio Tour Tomorrow

/ Terrill Welch / 16 Comments

I am almost ready! Tomorrow, being Saturday November 12, 2011, it is the annual Artisan Christmas Studio Tour on Mayne Island. There are eight Studios, two craft fairs and six shops participating. A few places are even going to be open on the Sunday as well as Saturday. Look for the red brochures at the Mayne Mall or drop by my Studio in the morning after 10:00 am. I can give you a brochure to get you started on a day of creative delights.

Here is a photo showing from last year’s Creative Potager studio opening to warm you up to the idea…

To find la casa de inspiracion, our home and studio, pick up the Mayne Island Community Chamber Brochure on ferry or at one of the local shops. Creative Potager is number 35 in the white square near the centre of the island. There are yellow signs to guide your right from where you turn on toWood Dale Road which is just as you come off the ferry. Just follow along until you get to 428 Bowsprite Crescent. I am looking forward to seeing you between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

There will be several new original oil paintings, photography prints and greeting cards showcasing our lovely west coast and Mayne Island.

For those of you that are too far away to drop in, please feel free to browse my online gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com It is almost the same as coming by except you have to get your own cup of tea.

Sprout Question: What are you preparing for?

© 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

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The Quiet

/ Terrill Welch / 18 Comments

Yesterday’s Third Salish Sea Sunday Savings event was the best out of the three with several individuals taking advantage of the offering. Thank you so much to everyone who participated! I am always amazed by your ongoing support. It is like a pleasant surprise each time I venture to promote my work.

 

Yet, even with all of this excitement, I am engaged in a time of quiet – a deep peace that seems to come with the low light of late fall. The tree that overhangs our bank at the back of the house is just starting to turn.

The sheep in the valley below the house seem to emanate my inner stillness.

I tend towards observation rather than engagement during this time of year. There is a lot to do but not much that must be done. This is why announcing the winner of the draw for small 7.5 X 12 inch canvas print of AMAZEMENT seems so perfectly placed. The winner is an expert at engaging stillness, reflection and capturing the everyday aspects of his natural surroundings. Can you guess who it is? It is Jeff Stroud! Allow me to link to a recent interview that I did with Jeff which will provide links to his outstanding photography and information about recent shows of his work and to his blog. Congratulations Jeff!

 

As we all know, this time of quiet is often fleeting. I will be spending this week getting ready for the Mayne Island Artisan Christmas Studio Tour where I open our home to the public from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday November 12, 2011. If you are in the neighbourhood, please drop in and enjoy the transformation of our home into gallery space.

 

I also have one other fine offering that will be available until November 30, 2011. The producer, Blurb, of my book PRECIOUS SECONDS – Mayne Island in paintings and photographs is offering buyers a $10.00 discount until the end of the month. To receive this discount, type in BIGTEN when the promo code is requested during checkout.

 

Here is the fine print that Blurb provided with the offer…

 

*Offer valid through November 30, 2011 (11:59 p.m. local time). Receive USD $10.00 off product totals. Minimum purchase is USD $29.95. This offer is good for one-time use, and cannot be combined with other promotional codes, volume discounts, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous orders.

 

Sprout Question: What triggers your quiet times?

 

Have a wonderful week whether it is quiet or filled with activity!

 

© 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

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Why I hung a $2,420 original oil painting for sale at our local Farm Gate grocery store.

/ Terrill Welch / 20 Comments

Does it seem odd to you that I would accept an invitation to hang one of my large fine art original oil paintings in a grocery store? Well, let me explain. The Mayne Island Farm Gate store is not just any old place you go to get your fruit, vegetables, dairy meat, eggs and other delicious goods. Farm Gate has the finest of fine of everything that is local or just plain excellent.

Take the frozen meat cooler for instance stocked with local organic grass-fed beef, succulent lamb, decadent chicken and more.

A stew for Farm Gate with its delicate vegetables fresh from the garden is a stew to remember.

But the Farm Gate story is not just about what is good to buy. Farm Gate is about what is good about us. Most places on Mayne Island are friendly and helpful but Farm Gate takes community, friends and family to the very heart of our experience.

A coffee anyone?

Or maybe you would like to take a pound of this micro-roasted organic, fair-trade, shade-grown, bird-friendly black gold home instead?

How many of you actually know the person who makes the hummus in your local grocery store? How many of you would be delighted rather than surprised when that same person saw your vehicle in the parking lot and came in to say ‘hello” complete with an island-size hug?

Since we were both there it was a great photo opportunity. Just in from gardening here is Barbara at her working best.

Barbara McIntyre of Nomadic Routes Inc. is the same Barbara that is showing her photography at the Green House Restaurant with me. By the way, we are hanging a new show this afternoon if you want to drop in, have a bite and say hello. But back to hummus – Barbara’s organic Moroccan Hummus is a reason all by itself to stop by Farm Gate. Or you may prefer one of her kayak-travel-proof-decorated-wax-covered-chocolate-truffles. Delicious! Sssssppttt! There on the left end of the checkout counter – an easy reach. No one will say anything if you buy three.

In fact, some things at Farm Gate are so good they have to be shared with friends far away. On Laurie Buchanan’s Speaking from the Heart blog post today she tells about receiving a package from me in the mail. For those of you that know us both, it is no surprise that we have an equal passion for the precious cargo sent by air mail and arriving in a plain brown package.

When Don and Shanti, the owners of Farm Gate, asked if I would be interested in hanging some of my original oil paintings I hesitated for a second. Not because it was a grocery store but because it was such a fine grocery store. The walls are spacious with high ceiling and already well appointed with their own collection of fine art. So I thought about the work I had available at the close of the STUDY of BLUE solo exhibition which was showing at the Oceanwood Restaurant and Inn. I decided I had two pieces that were large enough and would fit well in the store. There was the painting ONE shown here and KEEPING WATCH a painting of the same size (and same price) – but it sold that same week. So when I brought ONE to hang in the spot we had agreed, even though it is 24 X 36 inches, it looked rather lost in the large space above the door next to the 25 pound bags of floor on the back wall.

Don came by as I was finishing up and said “I think you are going to need a bigger sign than that – something that actually says in big letters FOR SALE. You need to catch people’s attention.”

Don was right. The small gallery sign I had was not going to do it. So off I went to make a new sign. When I came back my painting had been upgraded. Yes, just like in a fine hotel, it now had the premium suite. They had moved one of their own collector pieces to the original location of my painting and placed ONE front and centre in the best light, with the best exposure. I was overwhelmed by the gesture. Imagine someone taking the time and creativity to think through what would work best to show my work.

That is the kind of place Farm Gate is. Besides fine groceries and fine art, the Farm Gate store is about being fine people –where your best interests are their best interests. Friendly and caring does not adequately describe this kind of lived intention. It is with great pleasure and equal honour that my original oil paint ONE hangs for sale at the Farm Gate Store.

I am sure that along with your freshly picked white cucumbers, basket of raspberries and lamb burgers for the BBQ, Erin would be happy to accept a cheque made out to Terrill Welch for the sum of $2,420 and help you package ONE for safe transport to your own fine Mayne Island retreat or other far away destination of equal fine taste. But those two little packages on the bottom far left. You can’t have those. That is David and mine’s lunch – grill zucchini, onion, and red pepper with goat cheese on a freshly baked organic croissant.  Huuuttt! I see you! Okay, you can have a bite.

There is a verse in one of Muriel Rukeyser poem’s “The Speed of Darkness” that comes to mind:

Time comes into it.

Say it.       Say it.

The universe is made of stories,

not of atoms.

I am so pleased to be part of the Farm Gate story.

Sprout question: What stories are you pleased to be part of?

© 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

Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com

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