west coast

Winter Waves

/ 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?

 

© 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

 

Winter Solstice on the islands

/ Terrill Welch / 13 Comments

These images are from the shortest day before the darkest night with a lunar eclipse on Winter Solstice.

I find great comfort in their deep dark soft peace.

The hush of low light brings its own beauty.

The light of day begins to length as we pass through to deepest point of darkness.

 

 

Sprout question: Where do you find light in the darkest of darks?

 

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

 

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. Which doesn’t seem to stop the occasional post from appearing.

 

© 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

 

Edge of the Sea

/ Terrill Welch / 17 Comments

Standing close, feeling the softness of the smudged edge of the sea, being washed into a possibility.

(view and purchase full resolution here.)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our USA Creative Potager friends… may your year be bountiful with simple abundance and love. It is a perfect day for us all to take a moment and count our blessings.

Sprout question: What are you grateful for today?

© 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

One

/ Terrill Welch / 19 Comments


 

Rolling continuation yet no second like the one before.

Come now! It is just a rock and a bit of sea water reflecting the blue sky. What makes that worthy of contemplation?

What defense do I have? It was cold and my stiff fingers slipped on the shutter button. I am a bit touched from being to long on an island. Whatever the reason, I have come back to this image more than once in deciding what to post for today.

This is it. Enjoy a Zen moment. Or not:)

Sprout question: What are some repeating themes in your creativity?

© 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

A Search for Colour ends in the Japanese Garden

/ Terrill Welch / 24 Comments

With the slate gray of winter loping around cavorting with my finer spirits, tempting them into the gloom, I went in search of colour.

There is this leaf amongst the twigs with the sun soaking through it.

An orange calendula is there to greet me in its last rain-soaked days before predicted weekend frost will pluck its brilliance.

These yellow calendulas will fair no better.

Then I go to the Japanese Garden. At last I feel satisfied. I take this image home and render it in a painterly fashion.

View and purchase full resolution image here.

I prefer the simplicity of this version rather than just a photograph… but I do have that way as well.

Sprout question: What keeps your spirits up when the sun fails to find you?

© 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

Washed Smooth

/ Terrill Welch / 15 Comments

The heaviness of the cloud pushes down until I hunch under its dreary weight. West coast winter has arrived. Last nights winds were an early warning of what is yet to come. Today is smoldering quiet. Only small birds twitter in the trees as we walk.

I cast my eyes south,

then north along the shore,

stopping my roving gaze only when I look west and settle upon the smooth sandstone washed clean by years of waves.

I notice one small leaf also sitting in deviance.

 

Sprout question: What might you like to wash smooth?

 

© 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

Snow Clouds

/ Terrill Welch / 20 Comments


It doesn’t snow very often on Mayne Island but it does all around us. Some days I can smell snow and people frown when I say so. Raising one eyebrow, they will say “I didn’t hear of a snowfall warning.” Then I have to explain that I can smell it from where it is snowing on the mountains around us… 30 or 40 miles away.

 

Sometimes I look up and say “those are snow clouds.” It is not just the look of them. It is how they feel… and smell.

 

 

Sprout question: What smells in your neighbourhood?

 

© 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

 

 

Stories in Mist

/ Terrill Welch / 14 Comments




Dawn creeps through the mist, stealing night’s solitude.

Mist settling in between notes of soft music drifts through the room and out into the valley.

Between now and then is the shadow of self… wavering slightly in our imagination.

Sprout question: What stories are your soft edges telling?

© 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

Home becomes Gallery

/ Terrill Welch / 24 Comments

The transition is just about complete. For Saturday November 13th and Sunday November 14th our home will become a studio gallery for my:

* oil paintings

*large photography canvas prints

*2011 Sea, Land and Time Mayne Island calendars

*and, lots and lots of cards.

Would you like to tip toe through and have a wee peek? I thought you might. Leave your shoes at the door. The floors are heated and so cozy to walk on. Go on down the curved hall into the great room.

Feel free to stop and look on your way.

The sunroom area is not quite finished yet. The bed will be covered in cards by tonight, with a large canvas print resting on the headboard after I remove the pillows.

Now come up into “the private area” which is where we will have our breakfast…

and opposite of where my working studio is located.

Let’s look over the loft railing.

Well this is it. The cards are not out yet and there are still a few more pieces to hang but this gives you the general idea.

For those of you that are too far away to get any closer than this blog to these open studio days, you don’t need to miss out. Remember? Redbubble has a 15% sale on all my work in their online storefront. You can only get this deal if you order online. So there you go. Something for everyone.

Sprout question: When are you next presenting your creative work?

Have a wonderful weekend.

© 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

Dentist Doctor and Birthdays

/ Terrill Welch / 19 Comments


How many of you still use a hard copy calendar hung on a convenient wall to keep track of appointments, birthdays and holidays? Come on put your hand up. Way up so I can see it. Don’t be shy. Surely not everyone uses a blackberry, iphone, or the back of their wrist to keep track of things. Most people still have a big calendar with all sorts of notes written on it that they can easily reference with eyes blinking sleepily in the morning. Don’t they?

Actually, I have no real idea. I only know it is fun to take my new images for the year and make these lovely large calendars. Here are the three new calendars for 2011. Just click on each one and have a browse – much better than trying to remember to send a birthday card to Aunt Myrtle by the smudged ink on the back of your wrist…

Sea, Land and Time MAYNE ISLAND 2011

Mayne Island Tree Spirits 2011

And something a little different…  Kitchen Company 2011


If you would like one to arrive before the New Year or get one for a Christmas gift, now is the time to order.

Yes, I know. I am shamelessly marketing but if you don’t know what I have in the store, how can you decided if you want to buy it? At the very least, you will get to have another look at some of the best images posted this year on Creative Potager. Now that shouldn’t be too painful. Enjoy!

Sprout question: How are you going to keep track of important creative dates in 2011?

AND if you have a calendar with your own creative work for 2011 be sure to leave a link with your response to the question above. I love looking at these calendars and seeing all your favourite pieces for the year.

© 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