Building a Unique Visual Painting Voice - Terrill Welch by herself #53
Frequently when I am either in conversation with both beginning art collectors or beginning artists, the issue of style comes up. It can be an inquiry about how to recognize various styles or what is my style or how they can develop their own unique style. These questions have always felt like they might be missing the point. I am not dismissing the notion of style or genres of painting. However, for the most part it doesn’t come from artists but rather the art critics and art historians trying to make sense of paintings and artwork created by artists over at least the last 30,000 years. We humans love to categorize and make sense of our world so it is understandable that the question of style, seems to rise to the top like cream in a milk jug of painting practice questions. As I work on my “Close to Home” series and research, I again seem to be facing this question - am I going back to an earlier style in my plein air painting and studio sketches as I begin this project? Well, it might be reasonable to determine that these small works are in the style of Terrill Welch in composition, colour palette and mark making from the past but why? Why am I painting this way? Why does it matter to me? Hint — the answer is not to develop a recognized unique style of painting.
In these small studies I am using my unique painter’s voice and language to gather sensory information that will then be available to me later in the studio as I begin larger works. These specific painting processes and mark making offer the most meaningful and richest body of information for this purpose. This is why I paint like this and why it matters to me. From this starting point, then I can use other materials, other methods and other mark making approaches from a place of solid investigation that I gathered from the field or in my quick study sketches. Building a unique visual voice and painting language comes from inquiry, rigor, research practices and risk taking while I document the world as I experience it. That said, I am not on an island all by myself. Even though I do live on Mayne Island, the larger world still seems to find me. I am embedded in a specific contextual environment that influences and impacts what I think, how I frame my world and the kinds of marks I make on a surface with paint. Sometimes, these aspects are obvious, as in my Red Line series about the impact of climate change on our environment. Sometimes they are invisible, like my need to stay close to home due to my caregiving responsibilities. But whatever the reasons, my painting practice is never about creating an identifiable style. My reasons are about problem solving and investigating and articulating in paint my experiences and my thinking.
I do practice expanding my mark making, testing new materials and approaches and orientation and structure of compositions. These are about finding the best way to say what I want to say and not related to abstract, realism, figurative, post modernism, contemporary Impressionism or any other constructed category of styles and genres. So with this in mind, I suggest we ask a different set of questions of the artwork in front of us and if we are painters, different questions of ourselves within our practice. If we ask, regardless of the appearances of the work - why did the painter approach this work in this way and why does it matter to them, we begin to look at the work more critically and with an investigative sense of inquiry. We become more curious.
These questions also have the potential of allowing us to explore and engage with artwork that might more generally be outside of our comfort zone or interests. The same can be true if we ask these same kinds of questions as a painter - why am I approaching this work in this way? Why does it matter to me? What is it I want to say? What other way might work better or get at something I haven’t been able to access before?
To conclude, often it is not what the artist is doing but rather why they are doing it that can be most intriguing.
What do you think? How do you approach your experience with various artworks? What kinds of questions do you ask yourself beyond - do I like it or not?
Dear readers, you have always been great discussions and contemplation partners so I thought you might enjoy this particular “style” painting practice problem. We will leave it at that and move on to the rest of our newsletter.
NEW RELEASE
For a brief moment I thought I might want to do more with this quick plein air sketch but, it was made very clear to me that the painting felt for sure that it was done. I know better than to argue with one of my paintings. So done it is!
Artist notes: I set the plein air easel on top of the sandstone and looked east over to the rocks exposed in a low tide. The day is pleasant with blue skies holding shapely clouds in the late August sun. I stay for a while with my brush in hand and drift through an hour of painting. It is my birthday and this is my gift to me.
For the most part, the brush marks are loose and suggestive yet they seem to hold the moment together as a whole.
Definitely, worth getting a few feet away from the surface as this digital room view allows.
Here is the direct link to the painting in my online gallery:
https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/terrill-welch/artwork/oyster-bay-late-august
WHAT I AM MAKING
Basil pesto - the last batch of the season!
While picking up the produce basket, I didn’t make it past Christina’s Garden bouquets of dahlias. I believe the raspberry coloured one is Jowey Frambo but I do not remember the name of the varied orange/yellow one. Are they not just amazing!?
Okay, now on to basil pesto, a traditional batch with basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, Parmigiano, olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Then I decided to add a few little tomatoes. Why? I am not sure. I just stood there and sniffed the freshly washed basil, equally fresh squeezed lemon juice and the just grated cheese… and said - needs a few tomatoes.
I would give you the recipe but I change it slightly it seems each time. Best to look up a good base one to adapt online.
Half is frozen for winter and the other half is used right away… first for mid morning snack and then on our chicken for supper.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
I have had a full week between adding new artwork to The Grove B&B and returning some, visiting a friend who is in hospital, doing my presentation on zoom with my classmates and seeing if I can squeeze out time to paint.
These two arbutus tree paintings are in the studio again after being away for a year on consignment. I will cover them with a dust cloth soon but they are such good company, I have left them staring back at me as I work for a few days.
The weather is cooler and still pleasant. I picked up spring bulbs to plant and have managed to get them in the ground. There have been phone calls and text exchanges with various family members. An artist friend sent some paintings for me to take a look at. An art collector asked about a painting they liked. All in all, it is good! I love that feeling of being satisfactorily tired from meaningful work and play! There are lots of big worldly distractions but the richness of an ordinary day within an ordinary week should never be underestimated.
Sending you many moments for reflection and enjoyment. Kick those autumn leaves like you mean it! Keep all of those grim creatures from stealing your focus and pleasure. More than anything else, this is how to thrive through adversity.
All the best as always,
Terrill 👩🎨❤️🎨
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