art

In the PINKS and other rose painting efforts

/ Terrill Welch / 9 Comments

When I blinked my eyes open just before 5:00 am they met the moon smiling down on us in the soft hues of a clear dawn. I could have gone and got my camera to capture its deep yellow-orange but instead we just gazed at each other until the moment passed.

Now, still early, the day is well underway and I believe with a bit of luck it will be a painting day. Yesterday, in a 20 minute window, I did up this quick 5 x 7 inch study “in the pinks.”

The study is to assist me with what I need to do on a larger 24 x 36 inch canvas “Always Roses” that is in progress.

I wanted to try a new red that I thought might make a better pink for my roses. But I am not sure I am convinced. None the less, my sweetie is taken with this study so I thought I would share it with you.

Each colour has its own learning curve and it seems an infinite set of possibilities as we often discover when we go to paint a wall. I remember watching Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House (1948) a few years ago and the wife in the movie was trying explain to the painters the colour she wanted in the kitchen or something. She is going on and on about how it was the yellow of fresh butter she was looking for but not quite. She gets more and more specific with her description in her attempt to request the exact colour she is wanting. The lead contractor final turns to his side kick who has the pencil and paper and says “you got that!” The other guy is looking at his paper and nodding as he replies “uh-um, yellow!”

In this painting I feel like the wife in the movie in search of just the right pink and my palette is recording my desire about the same as the guy with the pen and paper in the movie “uh-um pink!”

For the larger painting, I had found the perfect light one afternoon but of course the day I started painting it  is different and my squished studio space doesn’t offer anything close. So I did the best I could in combining my painting day  with the light from the day before. The lighting is completely backwards. However, I wanted to paint so we just went with it.

I decided on an approach of working from the outside in until my subject revealed itself out of necessity. You can get an idea about how this works in these two images.

But is there anything left to say about a still life vase of flowers with roses? After hundreds of years of paintings of this subject it doesn’t seem like there is much. Yet, I cannot resist. I must! In fact all of the other “to do” items have been shoved aside – including getting some food in the house to eat. Well I did find a chunk of cheese and a pear. Not starving – just limited in choices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I notice now how I shifted the shape of the vase to fit the compositional differences in the frame dimensions I am for the painting. That definitely wasn’t a conscious choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s see what the painting in process looks like now though the glow of wet paint is making some parts look lighter than what is actually on the canvas. I am fascinated how the image changed perspective so that the viewer is looking slightly down down on the arrangement. This is not the case with my set up. However, the canvas is so tall that I had to reach way above me to paint.

So here is a canvas that rest while humming an old familiar song of roses and other flowers arranged in a vase. It was painted just for the joy of it and to please me. Thanks for tagging along with me 🙂

Now I am off to see if I can find us the perfect pinks and see if I can finish it with some measure of success!

SPROUT: What colour have you most wanted for something and had the least ability to describe?

© 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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An interview with Terrill Welch by Charles van Heck

/ Terrill Welch / 4 Comments

Every once in a long while someone reaches out and gently grasps your elbow to steer you over to a quiet spot where they can ask evocative questions. Such has been my experience in being interviewed by writer Charles van Heck! When someone is really listening in a deep and meaningful way I often have lots to say – so this in not a short read. However, I hope you will find it an interesting one. Enjoy!

Impression and Perspectives from Mayne Island
An Interview with Terrill Welch

at Whitman Pond Charles van Heck – Woodhull Arts Journal

Whitman Pond is the website of poet and author, Charles van Heck. Welcome to Whitman Pond, a fictional place that has had a long gestation.

I know that for those of you that regularly visit here you will enjoy discovering Charles van Heck’s website and his writings and interviews.

SPROUT: Who recently asked you such good questions that you didn’t realize until afterwards how much you had to say?

 

© 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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PEARS BY THE SEA original oil painting by Terrill Welch

/ Terrill Welch / 15 Comments

A strange relationship really, pears and the sea. However, it was a joyful occasion on the day they were wedded in my en plein air painting. How did this all come about you might ask?

Well, one day not too long ago I got to thinking how the lovely pear has been painted and photographed for what seems like forever. They are a powerful symbol of abundance, cultivation or agriculture and culture. I want to marry them – at least for a while – with the sea because the sea is, at least for me, a symbol of eternal change and continuity. My desire is to go more deeply into our human relationship to our environment. A study of pears by the sea seems like a good place to start as any.

I set up my easel as the light changed quickly.

It was a grand day by the sea!

As the sea embraces the sky – and my pears of course!

Would you like a peek at the work in progress before I show you the completed painting? Yes? I thought you might…

I may paint another still life of pears by the sea but for now – this 12 x 12 inch oil on canvas is it…

(Updated October 29, 2012: this painting is no longer available)

SPROUT: What is your most favourite unlikely relationship?

© 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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ALONE BY THE SEA original oil painting by Terrill Welch

/ Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

Don’t even ask what I was supposed to be doing this Friday because whatever it was it isn’t done. Instead, I worked on this new 20 x 20 inch oil on canvas painting that is of East Point on Saturna Island and one of Canada’s newest national parks. I took some artistic license and made the building slightly taller than it is in real live. Other than that the scene would be most recognizable to anyone who had walked out to the end of the point during a low tide and then looked back towards land.

This painting is in answer to a request by an admirer of my paintings. She asked if I could paint something with bright colours and maybe more contrast. We exchanged several posts as I remarked on how my subject – the southwest coast of Canada, is often quiet and the contrasts subtle. But I accepted her request as a challenge and asked that she leave it with me. I have been wanting to paint this particular scene for a while and I thought it would be a perfect with its deep shadows under the bank and in the crevices of the sandstone. It was a good painting problem and I greatly enjoyed saying one of artist Gabriel Boray pieces of painting advice over and over as I worked – exaggerate,  exaggerate exaggerate! This led to a whole other internal dialogue about my propensity to understate. So when all the tensions, struggles and musings had finished playing themselves out on the canvas this is what I am left with. Oh I might play a little with it yet but mostly I think it is ready to be set aside to rest. Enjoy!

UPDATE June 10, 2012: I played with the painting more than just a little based on the following feedback from colleague and artist Lena Levin –

In your painting, the building looks a bit like a child drawing. I think it fits, in a way, — in that it kind of conveys your feeling of it sticking out, as though a man has been childishly modifying the nature, which looks mature and much more solid and eternal.

But just in case this look wasn’t intentional and you want to change it, it is due mainly to distortion of perspective (horizontals of the building don’t converge on the horizon line) and, as far as I can see from the photo, the lack of variation in the red of the roof (also probably the fact that two planes of the building are of the same value, as though it’s flat).

I did want the building to enhance that feeling of temporary tension between human habitation and the landscape. However, I also wanted the building to be somewhat believable. So I went back in this morning and made some minor adjustments which then led to a few other changes leaving us with what I hope is now the final painting. The building now looks much more like the actual building on this historic site. My thanks goes out to the Lena for her critical observation.

I also had a nice surprise this week. One of my small paintings “Morning” sold at the Green House Bar and Grill. I hadn’t even had a chance to show it to you yet.  However, I am going to do a separate post showing just the small paintings and will include it with these.

SPROUT: When was the last time you were glad your Friday went sideways?

© 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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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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Hanging at the Bennett Bay Bistro

/ Terrill Welch / 10 Comments

No it is not a murder mystery. It is paintings – my large oil paintings on canvas are now hanging at the new *Bennett Bay Bistro* at the Mayne Resort on Mayne Island.

Summers are usually my busy time but you may ask – doing what? Well,during the summers our small island doubles in size with visitors and part-time residents and weekenders. This means getting my home studio ready for visitors and also put up new shows of my work in venues on the island.

The latest request came from Colleen Wadsworth, the owner of the  Bennett Bay Bistro at the Mayne Resort. When she asked if I would be willing to hang some of my paintings on her huge wall in the Bistro I had to swallow hard not to drool before I said a simple “of course, what did you have in mind?” Colleen took this photograph just after we got the four largest paintings up.

It was most fun and a pleasure to see the work display together like this. I afraid, my small studio does not afford such a luxurious viewing of these paintings. Here is one of the smaller paintings which most of you will be familiar with hanging on the far wall in a space by itself.

But dear readers, I also want give you a glimpse of the view if you look the other way from these paintings.

Isn’t this lovely? Even on an overcast day like today it is inspiring. How about we go out on the deck for a minute?

All this is served up with a fresh, fresh tasty small Bistro menu that will grow as the number of customers grow during the summer. I will try to get back to capture Colleen serving up some of these sumptuous offerings soon.

An admirer on G+ recently said “I will not be there. I live in Denmark. I hope you will share your work on G+” I replied yes and that I could even do better than this. All of these paintings are available for viewing and purchase in the *Artsy Home online Gallery* and arrangements can be made to ship them to you wherever you are. Now how is that for service?

Tomorrow, I will share with you the new show of 14 small paintings and photographs that are now showing at the Green House Restaurant. So see you then!

SPROUT: What is filling your days with vibrancy and simple abundance?

© 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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A distant detail of painting in progress

/ Terrill Welch / 10 Comments

It is Tuesday and my larger painting of  “Rainy Day by the Sea” has been “resting” since last Thursday. The long Easter weekend has come to an end and I have a long list of petty tasks to do. But first one must paint don’t you think?

Here is a 3 x 5 inch distant detail from the 16 x 20 inch painting I am working on. It was never intended to be viewed with such up-close scrutiny but I like doing this sometimes. The marks of paint only lightly suggest their subjects leaving lots of room for our imaginations.

SPROUT: What do you see or think you see in these fleeting strokes of paint?

© 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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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

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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

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MANAROLA WINTER AFTERNOON original painting by Terrill Welch

/ Terrill Welch / 12 Comments

This 16 x 20 inch oil painting on gessobord was inspired by the Manarola Collaborative Project between G+ Painters and Photographers 2011 -12

Yes I have kept it a secret for almost six months 🙂

What a journey of personal discovery! It was October 15, 2011 when I finally get a chance to settle in and explore the images provide by the three photographers Elia Locardi, Marisa Williams and Mike Brzozowski. I have it in my mind I want to do a winter mid-afternoon painting of the village. I have never used any other photographer’s images as painting reference and I feel like my being is strapped to a narrow window on a high cliff. This is a location I have never experienced. I don’t know what it smells like. I can’t hear the sounds in the streets. I have no idea how the light falls at different times of day. What temperature is it? Does the wind blow a lot or a little? What does is feel like from one location in the village to another? What are the daily routines of living? When is it quietest? I realize that these are all threads and fibers that ground me in my paintings. What was I going to do.? I had to know. I couldn’t paint without knowing. So I went on a long journey of research discovering more images, blog posts and youtube videos to my learn from so that I could paint.

Using information as references from the photographs of all three photographers and more, here is the end result of my impressions of what Manarola might be like on a winter mid-afternoon day with its golden light. The fishermen have spent the afternoon in the pubs as they won’t be going out tonight. There is a storm coming. It took hours and even days. Finally I painted.

MANAROLA WINTER AFTERNOON 16 x 20 inch oil on gessobord with a 2 inch wood cradle by Terrill Welch

(I haven’t put this painting on the market yet but but it will be about $900 U.S. If you are interested send me an email )

More Background: A small group of G+ painters are inspired to paint Manarola in the Cinque Terre of Italy. The painters have never been to Manarola Italy and seek photography reference from photographers willing to give copyright permission to use their images in the creation of these paintings.

A small group of G+ photographers agreed to participate. Links to initial images for reference follow each photographer. I used a combination of these three photographs plus additional research to complete my painting.

Elia Locardi: https://plus.google.com/112957708071337353347/posts/UhLzeW8dEqi

Marisa Williams: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116975473087103045706/albums/5630380399468681713/5630690138668613394

Mike Brzozowski: https://plus.google.com/photos/103053238748819026069/albums/5200107765813493457

My heartfelt thanks to these photographers who shared their work so that I could create mine. You can meet all of the artists who participated and see their paintings as well as those that the photographers contributed in this album gallery HERE.

SEED: I have this great desire to learn more about this small fishing villiage. I now have Manarola Italy on my travel list.

© 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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