studio

Red Bowl

/ Terrill Welch / 34 Comments

Before I share with you my experience with the red bowl, let’s be clear about this week’s intention. This week, I shall finish up the three paintings I have underway.

The first of these is breaking through or “the big one” posted in A Week Painting.

The second is the forest and the third is orange sea both of which were posted this past Friday in Hot Coals.

I have one more canvas I can begin if the spirit moves me. Then it will require a shopping trip to continue.

Now about the red bowl

Last week I started a six week photography e-course with Kat Sloma from The Kat Eye View.  I first met Kat through her comments on Creative Potager. When I read her e-course description I knew this e-course was for me. Here is the first paragraph…

Photography is art, and like any other art, is an expression of the heart and soul of the artist.  In digital photography, the camera and computer become tools for creative expression the same way paints and brushes are tools for painters. But learning the tools alone does not help you find your eye and express your heart and soul; it can only be the starting point.  You have to learn to dive deeper into experiencing the environment around you and understand what calls to you in order to develop a unique photographic style of your own.

(by Kat Sloma. More about the e-course here.)

Her first exercise has to do with understanding how light can affect your subject. For this exercise I chose a bowl where the inside is red. Flickr is the format I am using for the Finding Your Eye e-course photojournal. You are welcome to check out my before and after images of the red bowl in different lighting at Bowls – finding my eye entry 1. All ten images are of the same red bowl.

I know I said I am going to focus more on painting than photography this year. However, I am taking the liberty of adjusting as the creative spirit moves me. I have decided it likely going to be a both/and year – Both painting and photography.

On that note, here is my favourite photograph from the past few days.

Alder in the Sun

(image may be purchased here.)

AND

The Fallen

(image may be purchased here.)

 

Sprout question: In what direction is your creative spirit moving you 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

Hot Coals

/ Terrill Welch / 24 Comments

Original oil paintings in progress…

First painting.

Forest 1

Forest 2

Forest 3

Forest 4

Second Painting.

Orange Sea 1

Orange Sea 2

The best cooking fire is hot coals because they provide a body of even heat which will penetrate and cook without burning your food. Sometimes painting is like this for me. At first the flames of an idea blaze with excitement and I paint away with nothing but burnt remnants to show for my efforts. But sometimes I need to build a good fire first so that there are enough coals for a long cooking process.  The painting Forest needs a good bed of coals to accommodate its density. The painting Orange Sea requires that I steadily add a stick or two at a time so that it can simmer without boiling over. Neither painting is finished. They are still cooking.

 

Sprout question: What kind of creative fire are you cooking with today?

 

© 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

 

Munch List

/ Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

Today at Creative Potager we have the good fortune to view a photograph of my grandson’s munching creative project that he and his mother did this weekend.

Don’t they look delicious? Thank you Arrow and Tina for letting me share your photograph of these most tasty looking gingerbread cookies. Dear readers, I have been told they are gone – every head, belly and limb of them – devoured!

This week is going to be a bit like this as well. I have so many things to share you will find yourself munching your way through these links as if they were those gingerbread cookies.

First, there is a blog party over on Leanne Dyck’s  The Sweater Curse at http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com. Leanne is throwing a virtual bash to celebrate the e-book publication of her thriller The Sweater Curse. We are all invited. So drop on in.

Second, I am a guest blogger at Daisy Hickman’s SunnyRoomStudio. Please come by “First Light” and you shall find, among other things, a sprout question there too.

Third, I am greatly honoured to share with you a moving post by Annie Q Syed. A few months ago Annie bought my original oil painting  “Only the Sea” and it now hangs in a sun-filled apartment in New York City. To learn more go to Annie’s post The Soul of the Sea.

Fourth, Sam Juliano over at Wonders in the Dark has his list of The Ten Best Films of 2010 posted.

 

My intentions this week are to start work on two new oil paintings. They are a 14 X 18 inch canvas and a 12 X 12  inch gessobord with a two inch birch cradle. The look minute beside the large canvas I worked on last week.

My brushes await me.

I have moved “the big one” into the other part of the loft area where it can be seen during the day while I wait to see what next to do with it. Have a wonderful week.

Sprout question: What can you add to our creative munch list?

© 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.

A Week Painting

/ Terrill Welch / 37 Comments

Following my intentions on a sunny Monday morning, I have my inspiration image set up and I am ready to squeeze out a few colours.

But the shadows! Gurrr!

I usually can move a smaller canvas around to avoid such things. This large 36 X 48 inch canvas has no room to move in my small studio space. Well, nothing to do but get started. I will see if I can work with it at least to get the underpainting done.

There is something absolutely exhilarating about putting those first strokes of paint on a canvas. The fact that this is a $72.00 canvas only has me swallow hard twice and mutter “be BOLD!” I work away fighting the shadows every step of the way until I have the painting roughed in.

This is about as much as I can do between holding a portable light that has a yellow glare and the shadows. I have come to the end of what I can do in the studio with natural light.

Note the bottom right hand corner and how heavily it is in shadowed. Not good I tell you. It is not good. What to do? I sleep on it – for two sleeps while the underpainting sets up.

It is cool outside on Wednesday but above freezing. I decide to move outdoors to the covered deck overlooking the valley.

It is a lovely place to work. No shadows here.

But it is rather cool and the water miscible oil paints are stiffer than I would like. I decide to keep working.

Here you can see the results from working in the studio with the heavy shadow on the bottom right hand corner. But it is only paint and fixable. I am now starting to lose my light. Where did the day go?

I am pleased. There are lots of problems still to resolve – like my cold fingers. But it is a good start.

Thursday I wake to heavy rains. I wait hoping it will brighten up. At 10:30 am I go upstairs to the studio thinking I will write instead of paint. But you see, the brushes and paint and painting are right there. I start dabbing away. Pretty soon I have the painting hauled back out on the deck. Four hours later I stop.

It is not finished but needs to rest for awhile. I will work on another painting next week and look at it out of the corner of my eye – with satisfaction.

Sprout question: What is encouraging you to smile with satisfaction?

Oh! We have a party invitation for Monday January 10, 2011 over on Leanne Dyck’s Blog at http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com Leanne is throwing a virtual bash to celebrate the e-book publication of her thriller The Sweater Curse. Please drop over leave a comment, share your favourite party food or punch recipe and a link to a great tune. Congratulations Leanne!

© 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

Beginning the Big One

/ Terrill Welch / 26 Comments

Yes it is time. My intention for this first week of January 2011 is to complete the under-painting on my 3 X 4 foot canvas. It will be the largest oil painting on canvas I have ever done. I have painted wall murals before but that is a completely different artistic expression than a large canvas. What they have in common is the need for lot of paint.  I think I have enough. The second challenge is how to set up the canvas so I can work on it. I am thinking that these two chairs should work if I can move things around in my small studio to accommodate them.

I will tie the cross-bar support to the chair with gardening twist tie to keep the canvas in place.

Then I will make the final decision on the image I want to paint. This remains unknown for the moment.

Before I wander off to get to work on this new project I thought you might like to see the first light on shore for 2011.

(image may be purchased here.)

I look forward to checking in with you on Friday and reporting on my results.

Sprout question: What creative problems are you resolving 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

One Year Ago Today

/ Terrill Welch / 16 Comments


One year ago today I posted the first Creative Potager post – A Gown Remembered: Beginning.  With one quick comment and my reply and eleven views it was a quiet beginning.

Today is post 205 and it starts the day with 26,600 views while building on 3,440 comments. It is a good solid beginning. Thank you everyone for your part in making this a great Creative Potager year.

Going forward, we will see a shift in posting in order accommodate my intentions for the 2011 year. Creative Potager will have a Monday morning post that will include my intention for the week. Friday morning will conclude the week with a report on the results of the intention set at the beginning of the week. With these book-end-posts there will be occasional but not predictable post in between. Each post will continue to have a Sprout Question for your musing and comment.

My intention for 2011: I will be focusing more on oil painting en plein air than photography. The purpose of my work remains the same – to ground the viewer to their physical earthly environment – in nature. Zen impressionism. Quiet abundance. Joy.

This painting “Winter Sun” and a few of my other 2010 oil paintings are for sale go to ART of DAY, at the ART of DAY store. More of my work will become available at this location in the near feature.

With an intention to be painting more and also to be painting outdoors I hope you can see why there is a shift in this years posting structure. The nice thing about blogging, if something doesn’t work we can wake up in the morning and change it. This new schedule will begin on Monday, January 3, 2011. You can expect to see Creative Potager posts today through to Friday, December 31, 2010.

Sprout question: What intentions are you setting for 2011?

© 2010 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

Related Articles

Art of Day 2010 Holiday Show and Sale

/ Terrill Welch / 7 Comments

Creative Potager interrupts its holiday to bring you news about the inclusion of my painting “Rising” in a fantastic online international show and sale.

UPDATE January 30, 2011: This painting has been SOLD to a buyer in Switzerland.

James Day is the brilliant brain behind the development of ART of DAY blog and online gallery store. He invited 20 Featured Artists and included 20 Artworks for inclusion in the ART of DAY 2010 Holiday Show and Sale. There are artworks from a wide range of disciplines from all over the world coming together in this one online location.  Please drop in and to view this outstanding collection.

To view more work by Terrill Welch:

To view more of my oil paintings for sale at ART of DAY, go directly to the ART of DAY store. Also, three oil paintings were recently profiled on Creative Potager and can be accessed through separate links on the post “Wrap up of three paintings over three days.”

My photography can be viewed and purchased at my redbubble storefront.

My full artist biography has a sampling of my work displayed as well.

Thank you for your support, encouragement and purchase of my paintings, photographs, and calendars.

Sprout question: What brilliant creative idea are you working on?

Now back to holidays!

Please note: Creative Potager will be on holidays beginning Saturday, December 11, 2010 and will return on its one year anniversary Monday, December 27, 2010.

© 2010 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

Tis the Season

/ Terrill Welch / 26 Comments

Well, today is the day!

Today is the day that Creative Potager holidays begin. Thank you every reader who dropped by especially those who took the time to comment and be part of a delightful, passionate and intelligent creative community. I have enjoyed your companionship, your humour, and your vulnerability.

Today is also our first anniversary. David and I eloped one year ago today. Here is the evidence – as we prepare to share cake with friends who stood up with us.

We wish you the very best of the holiday season.

I look forward to seeing you again with a new post on Monday, December 27, 2010.

Before we go too far though, I invite you to drop in to Leanne Dyck’s The Sweater Curse blog today where I have a guest post “Within a Curse.”

Sprout question: What is your favourite holiday season greeting?

Thank you for your community, support, encouragement and purchases of my photographs, calendars and paintings in 2010!

Please note: Creative Potager will be on holidays beginning Saturday, December 11, 2010 and will return on its one year anniversary Monday, December 27, 2010.

© 2010 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

Wrap up of three paintings over three days

/ Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

Welcome to Monday morning at Creative Potager. Shall we start with a little sandstone, sea and blue sky before getting into the three paintings over three days wrap up? I thought you might be like that.

(view full resolution – available for purchase here.)

This photograph is the first of several I will introduce this week from our walk on Saturday in the beautiful clear blue of the winter sun.

The special sale event for three paintings over three days has been amazing. Guess why? Because of you! All the views, the comments, the emails, the tweets, and the writings on my FB wall have left me full of gratitude with a powerful desire to take my work forward. What a wonderful way to bring a close to my work in 2010. Thank you. Thank you each and every one of you for being part of my creative journey in such a profound way.

Now for the details because today is the last day….

The sale price of $950.00 Canadian for each of these paintings regularly $1,200 Canadian each will end at midnight PST tonight, Monday December 6, 2010.

The first painting East Point Cliffs is still available at the time of this posting.

The second painting Owl’s View is still available at the time of this posting.

The third painting Far Shore is still available at the time of this posting.

 

 

 

TO BUY THIS PAINTING: Critical information for Buyers including the price is posted on a separate page HERE.

And some more great news that I am extremely excited about – my work as been accepted into the new ART of DAY online gallery. James Day is a sculpture and great supporter of artists. His artist features on the ART of DAY wordpress blog are widely read and appreciated. You may remember his feature of my work  “Impressionist Painting of Nature by Terrill Welch” in October of this year. Well, I now have five paintings of various sizes listed in the ART of  DAY online store. Please feel free to drop by and browse.

Sprout question: What do you do when you are feeling absolutely full of gratitude?

© 2010 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

Related Articles

Third original Terrill Welch oil painting in sale Far Shore

/ Terrill Welch / 17 Comments

Far Shore captures the west coast mist as it tumbles over tree-covered Galiano Island jutting from the sea in Active Pass.

Deep green winter reflections wrestle with rolling fog dressing and undressing the forest. Glimpses of naked trees are quickly covered only to appear again further on. Never quite able to grasp the wholeness and the detail at the same time, the viewer’s eye dances across the canvas.

A slice of the painting resting at easel-angle shows a sliver of the deep green unframed canvas sides.

 

This detail holds the movement and mystery of the larger painting.

 

Creative Potager post “more painting” shows a couple of images of Far Shore in progress.

TO BUY THIS PAINTING: Critical information for Buyers including the price is posted on a separate page HERE.

Far Shore is the third of three original oil paintings on sale over three days. After each of the three paintings become available they will remain on sale until sold or midnight PST Monday December 6, 2010, whichever comes first.

The first painting East Point Cliffs is still available at the time of this posting.

The second painting Owl’s View is still available at the time of this posting.

 

Please share this post with others who may be interested. Thank you for coming by and support of my work.

 

Sprout question: Can you tell us about your most inspiring experience in the fog?

 

© 2010 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