A Brush with Life- issue #119 Cozy Season with Sold Paintings

The last few days have been draped in lazily drifting snowflakes broken up with warm winter sun edged by a northwest icy wind off the coastal mountains. Last week a wind storm resulted in a 16 hour power outages that took place on a night following a day with no water while crews fixed water leaks in the community well system and spotty internet due to crews fixing lines for that. This came right at the beginning of a true winter sneezy, sniffly cold for both of us. It was probably a better time to be a snowflake than an rural small island human. Still, a friend brought over a box of Covid tests so I could make sure it truly was just a cold. It was. The local Farm Gate Store took my grocery order via email and I masked and picked it up outside followed by a stop with the mask still on at the post office to have my parcels brought to me outside as well. By Monday I was feeling better and was ready to look at what we might have to offer you of interest in this issue. With having been sick, there hasn’t been much hiking happening and only the occasional drive down to the ocean. I have been organizing the last of the calendars to be sent out and releasing some new paintings and shipping another for consideration. A couple of paintings have sold and the Gallery Pod worked beautifully in this process. So let’s see what we have between gallery updates, what I have been watching and a favourite seasonal story…

WHAT HAS SOLD AND NEW RELEASES

This section is combined because, of the three new releases, one is sold and another is on hold, leaving only one currently available. To keep from repeating these works in both sections, I thought you would prefer seeing them under one heading. Here we go...

New release and sold - The Woodcutter’s Stash by Terrill Welch, 16 x 12 inch acrylic on gessobord.

Artist notes: Starting from plein air, I worked on this painting several times over an eight month period until it finally felt complete and the harmony between the woodcutter’s stash and the landscape itself held just the right amount of familiarity and tension. The driftwood had accumulated because of heavy winter storms and flooding from atmospheric rivers the previous November. The type and intensity of storms were caused by changes in our climate. The woodcutter was able to selvage the aftermath and put it to good use. A very thin silver lining in otherwise disastrous circumstances.

A second sold painting went with the first into the same art collection and I will share more about how this came about later on.

Sold - An Early Spring Sea by Terrill Welch, 8 x 10 inch acrylic on gessobord.

Artist notes: The weather was unstable with about an hour from start to finish between showers. Yet, the sea was steady and true, in a chameleon sort of fashion, as the tide receded. A good afternoon for being a plein air painter.

Released, on hold and shipped for a trial hanging - China Beach Late February by Terrill Welch, 20 x 30 inch walnut oil on canvas.

Artist notes: The backpack with plein air gear can still be felt resting on my shoulders as I step up to this larger canvas later in the studio. What a morning as the fog started to lift and the sea let go of its grey cloak.

And finally! A new painting that you can consider purchasing. What can I say? Sometimes it is just like this. I promise to keep painting for a while yet so there will be more new works in the futue. 😉

New Release - Fog and Smoke Reef Bay by Terrill Welch, 8 x 10 inch walnut oil on linen board.

Available and you can click the image above or this link for more information at: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/terrill-welch/artwork/fog-and-smoke-reef-bay

NEW GALLERY POD FOR THE WIN

Finding homes for paintings is a pleasurable task anytime. However, finding homes using the best tools available is even more enjoyable. There are a few advantages for art collectors in collecting art directly from an independent artist. I usually have most of the available inventory readily accessible and not in one of five or so different galleries that you will then need to contact directly. I can easily pull together a private viewing room for a specific size or subject request for online detailed viewing. I have the independent gallery space to bring that online private viewing room selection into a physical gallery space for viewing those paintings on very short notice. And this is what came about the other day.

A request to view specific works in a size range for a specific subject came in via email first thing in the morning. I replied with the offer to create a private viewing room of available paintings that met their requirements and have them hanging in the Gallery Pod for final decision by 1:00 pm that same day. The art collector thought this would work well. They came by at 3:30 pm and easily made their decisions because they had already thoughtfully reviewed the work online before coming. I packaged up the two paintings they chose and sent them on their way with an invoice to follow via email by 5:00 pm. An online payment was received just before 6:00 pm. We did it! All done and a very happy art collector.

In between, I still did my social media posts, put up a new blog post and packaged a larger painting to ship to other art collectors so they can make a final decision.

It is on days like this when I can turn on a dime to satisfy the requests of art collectors that I am so thankful to be an independent artist with a great online gallery show space and inventory/invoicing tools with Artwork Archive and my very own gallery show space at our front gate. These two online and in-person art gallery spaces work amazingly well and seamlessly together. So, feel free to request your own personal gallery selection for your next Gallery Pod visit. If it is only 3-5 works, you are wanting to see, there is a good chance we can make it happen on the same day.

WHAT I AM WATCHING

I have been exploring an art exhibition in Venice, Italy with Mary Lynn Buchanan. This is called part 1 but the next video is of the Venice Biennale which might be considered part 2. Either way, part 1 is a complete stand alone 36 minute watch. Between Mary Lynn Buchanan’s summaries and her videographer’s filming this is about as close a person can get to viewing these shows without actually being there in person. I follow her video releases on YouTube and deeply appreciated an intimate window into our contemporary art world without having the demands and expense of traveling. I hope you enjoy the watch as much as I did...

This second watch I am sharing caught me completely by surprise even though it was released nine years ago. How many of you have watch House MD? And how many of you knew that the leading actor Hugh Laurie was a serious Blues musician and singer? It was news to me and if you love New Orleans Blues like I do, you will love this story and 52 minute video which you will need to watch directly on YouTube by searching for "A Celebration of New Orleans Blues with Hugh Laurie" and with any luck a recording is still available. I couldn't seem to find a legitimate copy to share with you so there is no guarantees that you will find exactly what I was watching but some of his indvidual song recordings will be there none-the-less.  

My third watch features a painting about peace and hope by one of my personal favourite painters, Claude Monet, and the painting is showing in the National Gallery of the United Kingdom as part of the Fruits of the Spirit: Art From the Heart where the National Gallery’s pairs nine pictures from their collection with nine from partner institutions.

It is possible to virtually visit the whole exhibition as well with a link to the virtual space provided at: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours/fruits-of-the-spirit

These three visual and sensory experiences are part of how I keep my world large while thriving in place. They are philosophical and spiritual (in the broadest sense) points of musing and hope for our global human condition when there is much to fortify our bleak dispair. All three offerings face reality unblinkered and with a sense of unwavering awareness before moving forward into a place of possibility, inner peace and hope. I ask myself what do the paintings of Anselm Kiefer recently showing in Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy (that will be burnt at the end of the exhibition) and "Water Lillies" by Claude Monet from 1916 showing in the National Gallery, along with the interpretations of New Orleans Blues by Hugh Laurie, tell us about courage and making our way through adversity? What can I learn from these three amazing, yet sometimes challenging expressions, that will strenghten my own resilience and resolve to live my best life in the best way I can to serve an infinite whole?

Note: If you wish to learn more about Anselm Kiefer and the show at Palazzo Ducale there is an excellent article in FAD Magazine at: https://fadmagazine.com/2022/03/29/anselm-kiefer-new-work-unveiled-at-the-palazzo-ducale-in-venice/

I often think about Kiefer as a contemporary painter that is not afraid of the dark. The title of this recent exhibition roughly translates to "These writings, when burned, will finally cast a little light."

RETELLING OF A FAVOURITE HOLIDAY STORY

I have a favourite seasonal story to tell even though I know many of you have heard it before. This rather blurry photograph, I believe, was taken sometime around 1941 in north central, British Columbia. The location is not in question as it is along the Stuart River about 25 miles outside of Vanderhoof on my grandparent's homestead. It is the year I am not absolutely sure about.

There was no car on this rural farm at this time. All travel, when travel was necessary, was done on foot, horseback or horse and wagon. On this particular December day, a little girl, by herself, went to get the Christmas Tree with her favourite horse. She was about four years old I think, though it is hard to tell in photograph, and it has been a long time since I have been told this story. When I looked at this photograph as a child myself, I didn't wonder how this small girl, who is my mother Nell Welch, got up and down off the horse because I knew.

My grandmother had told me many times the secret to this obstacle. The little girl would ask the horse to lower her head, sometimes sweetening the offer with a choice handful of grass or hay. When the horse dropped her head, the girl would climb on the horse's neck and the horse would raise her head. Then the girl would shimmy around onto the back of the horse. Easy as that! These two had been doing this trick since the girl was old enough to toddle out into the yard and through the fence to where the horse was grazing.

I also know that the little girl was in the trusted care of the horse for this adventure! Her parents and the child herself knew that she was perfectly safe to go out to the back 40 acres, cut down a tree, tie it up with a rope to the saddle horn and drag it back to the house because the horse would look after her. They were a team this special little girl and that equally special horse and mighty pleased with themselves too!

Note: I am pretty sure my grandmother took this photograph. I am very glad that she did because without such evidence it may be hard to believe. My mom's sister and my mom have confirmed that my mom was four or five years old in this photograph and the horse name was "Old Heart because of the shape of the white patch on her forehead. ( probably just Heart but she was always Old Heart to us)." I felt it was a great family story to share with you for cozy season and the start of winter holiday time.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Alas, we come to the close of another issue of "A Brush with Life" and by next issue I hope to have the additional paid subscription available for pre-order and a bonus issue within that section for your early arrival. We are getting there. I still have one more learning curve to successfully navigate before this can happen. Wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed!

I am not particularly enthusiastic about encouraging holiday shopping. However, if you would simply like to browse or to consider my available paintings for your wish list, I am happy to assist you with a direct link at: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/terrill-welch

With that, I wish you each all the best as we swiftly approach the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Terrill :) 🎨❤