Edge of the Storm

/ Terrill Welch / 22 Comments

There was another wind warning yesterday. It didn’t amount to much. Sometimes this happens because Mayne Island is often on the edge of a storm as it sits where the swirly marks on the weather report change directions. But after the last storm we need some more butane for the little heater and cooking element. It is always best to be prepared. We are also low on groceries so I venture out – with my camera too of course.  When I am done my chores I  go to our favourite beach and see what I can see even though there is a light rain, a good wind and visibility ceiling is low.  Yike!

I don’t think we will be going to sit out on the sandstone rocks today either.

(image available for purchase HERE)

Well that is enough of that! The rain is trying to blow into the lens hood and it is not particularly pleasant out here. Time to go make a hot cup of tea and nibble on that fresh Farm Gate Store bran and apricot muffin. I may muse awhile about the packages of seeds and spring plants I saw at the Hardware Store for awhile as well.  It seems to be the best sign of spring we have seen for days. Oh, I guess I could work on packaging up the paper work for our taxes too. Hum. Let’s have tea and think about it.

Sprout: What seems so near but is far off on your creative horizon?

P.S. seems to be some trouble replying directly from email notices today. My apologies. I have checked the settings and everything seems to be in order. Hopefully the issue if fixed soon.

But this might help to make you feel at least a little better….

BROWSE THE WHOLE BOOK! For the next 48 hours you can browse my whole book PRECIOUS SECONDS – MAYNE ISLAND IN PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS plus I made it available on standard paper lowered the profit to $2.00 from $5.00 over the production price – creating a nice savings if you have had this on you wish list. Things will go back to usual pricing with a 15 page preview on Saturday morning. Make that cup of tea and enjoy!

© 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

Related articles

When the Wind Howls

/ Terrill Welch / 16 Comments

When the wind howls in the big voice of the southeasterly through our valley we listen all right. Well, I listen. David seems to be able to sleep through most anything, except me jumping every time a branch or fir cone is slammed onto our tin roof.

Such was our Sunday evening when I first heard the whipping of the branches. I listened. I got up and checked for a Mayne Island wind warning. Sure enough:

Southeasterly winds up to 80 km/h will spread to East Vancouver Island, Southern Gulf Islands, Greater Victoria and the Sunshine Coast early Monday morning.

The Southern Gulf Islands is us. The Weather Network confirmed what I already knew. We were in for a bit of weather. I send out a note here and there to let people know I may be off line due to power outages. You see, it has to do with these big fir trees that get blow around like reeds of grass in these storms. With the heavy rains we have been having the earth is soft and then against their best efforts over they go onto the power lines.

I head back to bed, sleeping lightly until about 5:00 am when the winds are really getting carried into a frenzy. The chair on the deck gets knocked over, cardboard boxes from my prints are flying around and it sounds like the roof is getting hit with machine gun blasts of debris. But the electricity is still on. I get up, make coffee and post my painting in our G+ with Brushes group gallery. The lights are flickering and my fingers rush. At 5:50 am the room goes dark. The winds continues to howl. I call down from the loft to David to turn on the battery lamp that is by the bed so I can see to get back down the stairs. I take it from him to read until daylight. He rolls over and begins to snore. I want to shake him! But I don’t. I take up vigil in the grandpa chair in the great room reading and wait for the soft light of dawn and the storm to end. Daylight comes and the storm continues.

Eventually, I notice someone is up trying to find breakfast while keeping one eye on the sky for falling objects.

She is braver than me. I wouldn’t want to be out there.

After a nice long sleep-in David finally gets up and decides he just has to have toast for breakfast. No problem.

In the early afternoon the rains come and I know the storm has about blew herself out. After awhile the rains stop and the mist starts to roll its beauty through the trees.

An eagle rests quietly. I exhale and say to self – well that wasn’t so bad. It is the same thing I say after having dental work.

We listen to CBC public radio on our excellent emergency transistor and hear that the winds reached 100 km/h and other than a roof being blown off in Campbell River, 300 marine emergency calls, ferries had been cancelled and tens of  thousands of people  without power, all is well. I make hamburger stew for supper and we visit by candlelight in the quiet.

Sometime during the night the power comes back on and David volunteers to get up and turn off all the lights we had switched on absent-mindedly during the day when they were not working. Then I sleep – really sleep, until the moon is shining in the window at 6:00 am this morning. Making toast is a little less like camping this morning.

 

SPROUT: How do you weather a creative storm? 

 

 

© 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

Related articles

Holding the Sea

/ Terrill Welch / 10 Comments

The rain is steady this morning and the forecast is the same for at least the next five days. I have woke early, very early – 4:30 am to be exact. I have decided something. I have decided to shift my creative routine.  Change it up if you will. Oh you might not notice to much of a difference as there is always something percolating to share. But I will notice the difference in my work flow. It feels a little like this photograph of the sea – holding.

before it rushes forward with a recognizable pounding rhythm.

(image available on my new pro smugmug gallery HERE) 

I want to step back and look at my adventure from the cliff-side of my creativity.

I want to sing to the sea of its flow while I organize, file and scrub the vessel that holds my daily works and my place of eating and sleeping.

Then I will be renewed to begin again with fresh eyes and replenished spirit.

It is time. Could it be spring?

 

SPROUT: What are the your notable signals your recognize that time you it is time to shift your creative flow. 

 

© 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

Related articles

Embracing Life Happy International Women’s Day

/ Terrill Welch / 15 Comments

You say – what? no seascape!? Well, not this morning. It is March 8th and International Women’s Day today. This is a photograph of my mother I took a couple of years ago. She is on holidays and we are having a picnic after going on a garden tour with “just the girls” which included her sister, my sister and my sister’s daughter. I love this photograph of my mother because it shows her natural beautiful self. She is about to shake her finger at me and say “don’t you dare!” But I was faster. Being a farmer in rural British Columbia Canada my mother has worked hard and lived close to the land not far from where she grew up. She reads with exuberance checking out armloads of books each week from the public library. She knows most of the Latin names for her plants and studied genetics to be able to improve her breeding stock of Hereford cattle. Her daily walks take her past bears, moose, elk, deer, geese, swans, grouse and the fox sleeps on her doorstep. Her cinnamon buns are still the best in the world and I love her. Her quiet and sometimes not so quiet belief in me is part of why I am who I am today.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

© 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

Related articles

ROMANCING SUMMER BY THE SEA original oil painting by Terrill Welch

/ Terrill Welch / 11 Comments

Some paintings seem to guide the brush from the first stroke of the underpainting. The canvas, the brush and the artist move across the surface as if choreographed by a grand mistress of creativity.

Such was the case for this 30 x 30 inch oil on canvas painting ROMANCING SUMMER BY THE SEA. With a simple palette choice…

the painting slid onto the canvas and was simply there!

Oh it still needed to be built up and refined and brought to life but there was no question about the form, structure, tone or composition. Did this painting come out of some illusive muse? Possibly but it was highly influenced by several known influences. The first being my experience on Saturna Island last summer in August which provided the reference image and essence of a particularly spectacular summer morning on East Point. Secondly, I was reading THE SWAN THIEVES by Elizabeth Kostova which had been recommended to me by Patricia from Patricia’s Wisdom. If you have read the book you will know how deeply the sea, romance and painting are part of its gift to the reader. Finally, just before beginning this painting I was in an art gallery in Sidney B.C. and admiring an artist hand-embellished reproduction of “Evening thoughts” by Italian artist Pino Daeni. I have seen even an original Pino painting several times and reproductions many times. But this time I was admiring how he might accomplish that sensual mystery in his work. Then I asked myself, could I possibly capture this in a landscape, particularly one I loved and already could sense its sensual presence. Well, what do you think? Can I?

  (ROMANCING SUMMER BY THE SEA is available for purchase HERE) 

Of course my figure does not have flowing dresses. She is a strong muscular modern woman with little to give her gender away until you see her smile that touches her lightly around her eyes. But this won’t happen today. Today, we admire her enjoying the summer morning mist in August by the sea. There are also two detailed images of both the figure and the reflections on the water posted along with the painting at the “HERE” link above.

SPROUT: What has recently wooed your creativity? 

© 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

Related articles

Great Blue Heron and the surf

/ Terrill Welch / 10 Comments

Here at Creative Potager we haven’t been down for walk on the beach for a while. It must be time – yes? About yesterday’s adventure with a Great Blue Heron and a good strong surf, will that do? Get all settled in because here we go…

It was about three o’clock in the afternoon and a wee bit of sun was coming out after a morning of heavy rain, hail and even a bit of snow. Miss Prissy, the old blue ford 4×4 seemed as ready as we were to go stretch our legs down at Reef Bay. David and I chatter away at each other as we stop in at the Farm Gate Store. We have a quick visit with the owners Don and Shanti McDougall as we pick up local eggs, bread, plum jam and a few other odds and ends. One more stop at the Trading Post to pick up our weekly bottle of red wine and then it is time to head for the sea.

Of course we had to stop and check out the daffodil field along the way. Not enough blooms for a photo op yet. Soon though, very soon.

As we come by Oyster Bay I can see the surf is up and we almost stop there but I had a hankering for Reef Bay. By now you know it is a favourite and I thought we might be just a bit more sheltered from the wind. Pulling that old ford around on the half-acre at the entrance to the trail to the water we park. I leap ahead and David comes along more leisurely behind.

Right away I spot the Great Blue Heron over on side of the reef closest to the Strait of Georgia. These birds are a bit skittish here and keep their distance. So I get my camera set and begin the trek to see if I can meander close enough to get a good photograph.

Oh, I am spotted but still the heron seems content to pretend to meander just a little way down the reef hoping I haven’t noticed it. As it disappears behind a rock I think it thinks I have missed it. Then up pops its head. I move the camera just slightly to position the frame and there it goes…..

At first it is high over the crashing surf and then swoops down in a long glide close to the water.

(image available for purchase HERE) 

I go back to enjoying the surf for a few minutes

thinking about the sea

and the sandstone…

life and relationships and time.

The heron is contentedly hidden among the seagulls as I watch the Oyster Catchers and notice another large storm cloud coming our way.

With stiff fingers from the brisk wind I look to see where David might be as I make my way carefully back across the sandstone. The tide is coming in and I must clamber over the boulders to reach the beach again.

SEED: The Great Blue Heron is a favourite bird for many and particularly nature photographers. Its beauty and prehistoric squawk seem to keep our attention longer than most shore birds.

Great blue herons’ size (3.2 to 4.5 feet/1 to 1.4 meters) and wide wingspan (5.5 to 6.6 feet/1.7 to 2 meters) make them a joy to see in flight. They can cruise at some 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) an hour.

Though great blue herons hunt alone, they typically nest in colonies. They prefer tall trees, but sometimes nest in low shrubs. Females produce two to seven eggs, which both parents protect and incubate. Chicks can survive on their own by about two months of age.

reference: National Geographic at http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-blue-heron

Well, I hope you enjoyed your seaside walk and feel refreshed and energized to meet the day! All the best, from Mayne Island to wherever you are in this grand world of ours.

© 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

Related articles

New paintings by Terrill Welch in the Artsy Home online Gallery

/ Terrill Welch / 12 Comments

Getting on with the painting of being an artist never seems to be an issue. But getting them out and available for you to purchase is as inspiring as sweeping cobwebs off the sealing. It is not that I don’t want them to be available for purchase. It is the tediousness of filling in all the boxes for posting that often has me saying to self “maybe I will just paint one more and then post them all together.” And we both know how that goes – one more becomes five more before I settle in to a quiet Sunday like today and start adding new work.

So just in case you have one of my original paintings on your “wishlist,” I now have a few more of my new paintings available on the Artsy Home online Gallery including this 30 x 40 inch oil on canvas –

REACHING THE SEA (Note: this painting is no longer available)

The full gallery of my original oil paintings currently available can be viewed at http://www.artsyhome.com/author/terrillwelch

Yes, there are still a few more to add. I am in the process of editing the photographs right after I post this for you. But there is one new one that will not be released until Wednesday. I promised to keep you posted 🙂

SPROUT: What is your very most favourite Sunday creative family rated activity? 

© 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

Related articles

Down by the Pond

/ Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

There is something that feels very Canadian to me about a cabin by the pond such a s this one. It is not in a row of summer resorts but is by itself next to a pond that feels like it was created just for the cabin.

(image available for purchase HERE) 

Old fences seem to be part of any pond where there are or have been livestock.

But one is never very often really alone at a pond. They frequently places of much bounty and shared living such as this feathered friend.

(image can be purchased HERE)

The flight was short and the landing one of humour propelling feet and tail dipping…

These photographs were taken with the permission of the landowner. Please do ask before venturing on to private land to take even photographs. You wouldn’t want someone coming into your apartment and snapping photos of your kitchen counter with the explanation “I was admiring your teapot from the street. It is so amazing! I didn’t think you would mind if I just slipped in to take a few photographs.” I know it sounds silly to image someone doing this in your kitchen. But often it seems harder to remember to ask before stepping into a forest or large field. However, if we remember that large tracks of private land are the owner’s kitchen counter then it is easy to remember to ask permission before entering.

These photographs were taken on the certified organic Deacon Vale Farm which also has my very most favourite local and find foods grocery store in the world Farm Gate Store. If you ever come to Mayne Island you MUST stop by the store and make a few selections for tasting your way through local fair.

SPROUT: What is your favourite story about pond life? 

© 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

Related articles

WEST COAST SUNRISE postcard painting by Terrill Welch

/ Terrill Welch / 10 Comments

This painting is a 4 x 6.5 inch oil on special paper postcard that I did for David Sandum’s #twitterartexhibit fundraising project. It will be going in the mail to Moss Norway as soon as it dries.

 

This project is an amazing collaboration between artist David Sandum, twitter artists and the Moss public library in Norway. This year the funds raised will go to support The Women’s Crisis Center in Moss, where abused women and children can get help. The center also provides a 24 hour phone-service, counseling, food and shelter etc. It but has lost a lot of funding the past year and the staff has been cut from 19 to 11. This is a very important cause, not only for the women in a crisis situation but also for their children.

If you are an artist, have a twitter account and want to participate here is the link for more informationhttp://davidsandumart.posterous.com/call-for-artists-2nd-twitter-art-exhibit-in-m

 

SPROUT: What is the tiniest creative work you have ever done? 

 

© 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

Related articles

My Mother’s Lipstick

/ Terrill Welch / 11 Comments

I posted the following on February 15,  2012 on G+ and Facebook:

Roses are often a photographer’s Valentine’s day hangover. I cannot see this particularly red without thinking of my mother’s lipstick. It is what she wears when going to town. She wears it with her earrings and usually no other make up. I have seen her “dress for town” as long as I can remember. She looks as beautiful today as she did when I was a small child. No one thinks to look at her hardworking farm-hands when she has her lipstick on.

Along with this photograph of a rose that was given to us after dinner at The Green House Restaurant….

(image available for purchase HERE)

And here are some of the fascinating responses I received…

Sue Wiebe (my sister):  So true! And that lipstick seems to transform her whole face. A highschool friend once told me, “your mom’s lipstick is her trademark and it looks so right on her.”

Lynda Schwemmer: My mother’s color too; for many years… I think it’s partly a generational thing. There she was looking so classy in her blue-red, while I, child of the sixties, was trying out the pales and the earth tones. And they are polar opposites. Those reds have come around again though…. For what it’s worth, I think my mom’s lipstick color is Revlon “Love that Red” which has been around since the 1950s.

Oksana Suzulhan: I think red was the only lipstick colour at one point ( rouge à levres, en français and I believe that’s still what its called ). I like your comment about your Mom’s hardworking hands and lipstick; I look at people’s hands and usually see soft (yuck – no work), worn (hard work), or for most of us here somewhere MOR….This photo brought back the smell of lipstick I remember when I was much younger – it had a pungent, waxy, perfumey smell which I haven’t come across in years… I think that’s all that was available when lipstick was first introduced, or probably made available to almost anyone who could afford it. It was a status symbol, along with that smell, and was worn only as your Mom put it to ” dress for town “….To-day, all this is part of our every-day ablutions – different shade for every outfit 🙂

Now isn’t that just the most interesting bits of information to be gifted for sharing one photograph of a red rose?

SPROUT: What colour do you think will have people thinking about you and your trade mark presence? 

© 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

Related articles