Baby O arrives in about six weeks

January 25, 2011 / Terrill Welch / 18 Comments

Baby O is due March 4, 2011 but we all know that babies mostly arrive when they are ready. Saturday I caught the 7:45 am ferry to Swartz Bay and drove up Vancouver Island to Mill Bay where my daughter and her husband live. Josie was celebrating her thirtieth birthday with munchies and cake in the party room at the Duncan recreational pool. Everyone brought swim suits. Great fun! I liked the lazy river and the wave pool best.

While I was there we also did a photo shoot. So now I can update you with some new images on the progress of Baby O. We went to some of the same places that I took some of the first photographs at the end of September if you want to compare. Plus, there is another Baby O post from early November that you can have a look at as well.

Josie has been fortunate in that she has been healthy and active throughout her pregnancy. The day I arrived she went kayaking to referee a water polo game in the bay. A few days before that she was out on a rugged 7 km hike.

What was really amazing about taking these photographs was how different Josie’s belly looks in each image. Just so you know. These images were taken back to back on the same day.

Though the day was heavy with cloud and mist it had its own magic.

We visited as we walked and stopped to take photographs. One of my goals was to capture Josie in her natural environment doing everyday things that she enjoys. Which is hard to do because she enjoys so much! Teaching physics, cooking, hiking, kayaking just to name a few favourite activities.

Both the expecting mom and dad are prepared and excited about the coming adventure with Baby O. Oh! And so are the grandparents!

Sprout question: What are you waiting to be delivered?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Red Bowl

January 17, 2011January 17, 2011 / 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?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Dawn at the Pier

January 13, 2011January 13, 2011 / Terrill Welch / 19 Comments

Well, my underpaintings do not look very promising this week. I may or may not get time to work on them later today. So please don’t have high expectations tomorrow when I post the results. Sometimes creativity is like that. I tell myself there is learning to be had and just keep going. I also look back on other work that has been successful to boost my ability to be brave and bold and take the next step.

For today, I have been thinking about an image that I took early in the morning on New Year’s day. This pier is in Bennett Bay on Mayne Island. I have various images of it but this has to be my favourite. Enjoy.

(image may be purchased here.)

It is a quiet photograph the invites rather than excites. Today this seems just right.

Sprout question: What do you do when your creativity doesn’t meet your expectation?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Dramatic Seas

December 30, 2010December 30, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 15 Comments

What I am about to share with you is from last evening’s meanderings. Can someone please choose a perfect piece of well-known classical music for me? It needs to start softly as the light gives way to early evening.

(image may be purchased here.)

Then the notes should rise slowly but with confidence.

Building with sweeping sounds as we begin to embrace the clouds over Vancouver…

Going quiet as we come close to the mountains catching the sinking rays of the sun.

Now large sounds that make your heart pound with anticipation! Symbols crash!

(image may be purchased here.)

Building, building until you think you are going to burst….

(image may be purchased here.)

All sounds coming at once… the same notes dun, dun, dun… then releasing you to the Salish Sea.

(image may be purchased here.)

Sprout question: What is drama has your attention today?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Rocks

December 29, 2010December 29, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 7 Comments

Some days like yesterday, rocks play a prominent role in photo shoot. There are those in a spot of sun deep in the forest floor.

There are those providing a backdrop for an old fir tree.

There are those clustered together on shore.

Then there are those providing a foamy footpath for Surfbirds.

(image may be purchased here)

Rocks – all of them sandstone rocks.

Sprout question: What is prominent in your creativity today?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Winter Waves

December 28, 2010December 28, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 14 Comments

Leaving Vancouver B.C. to catch a ferry back to Mayne Island on Boxing Day there was a slice of early morning sun coming through the heavy rain clouds. I was early. I took a left at Tsawwassen and headed for Boundary Bay Regional Park. This park is a seaside wetland sanctuary for birds and bush bunnies like me passing through on their trek home.

To day the wind and sea were both high as waves rolled up and sometimes over the sandy beach.

The scene was dramatic. The contrasting colours between sea and sky were unusual. The light changed fast as it rose above the sea towards the cloud bank. If I had painted it, the viewer would have had a hard time believing its authenticity.

Even with a photograph… you might think “she did it with Photoshop! You can do anything with Photoshop.”

But I didn’t. I just happen to be at the right place at the right time with camera in hand.

Sprout question: When is life grander than your imagination?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

One Year Ago Today

December 27, 2010December 27, 2010 / 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?

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

Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

Announcing The Relaunch Of PleinAir Magazine (prweb.com)
Daniel Grant: Debate: Must ‘Plein Air’ Be Defined? (huffingtonpost.com)

Art of Day 2010 Holiday Show and Sale

December 18, 2010February 13, 2011 / 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.

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

Softly Dramatic

December 9, 2010December 9, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

Not all breathless moments come with blood-rushing luminosity. Some are quiet and wrap their arms around you while you are not looking.

Transitions

(view full resolution – available for purchase here.)

Smudges

(view full resolution – available for purchase here.)

Softly Dramatic

(view full resolution – available for purchase here.)

These three images are a study and meant to be viewed together.

Sprout question: where do you notice quiet drama in your creativity?

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.

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

Nothing but blue skies from now…

December 7, 2010December 7, 2010 / Terrill Welch / 11 Comments

Sometimes it feels like nothing but blue skies from now on… when the grey clears in the winter and the blue is so intense. Here are a couple of photographs of an arbutus tree against the clear blue in the winter sky. Arbutus trees are difficult to catch on their own. They like company and often lean on other trees for support on their journey to meet the sun.

(view full resolution – available for purchase here.)

To help set the mood of the moment, let’s have Ella Fitzgerald do it up right with this beautiful rendition of – Blue Skies…

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

Sprout question: What is your favourite blue sky experience?

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