Terrill Welch by herself - issue #33 Through to the End of Summer
The third Friday in August came upon me in a swirl of activity that would make a dervish dancer wobble. Alas, we are here and I shall share what I have in hopefully a somewhat cohesive fashion. There is still one week until the end of my solo showcase being represented internationally by the Opulent Art Gallery on ARTSY. I have been reading and writing extensively as I refine my theory and practice focus for my research. However, this is not an appropriate time to share that work, though I can show you my latest paintings and include my artist notes. I have four new paintings of which none have yet been released. I can give you the basics about each and I will have final images, edges painted and releases for you in our September issue. There is a short seven minute YouTube video of a rather dry academic presentation I recorded for earlier this week. This pretty much sums up the past month in the studio. Feel free to browse, read and watch what is of interest you and comment as you desire. It is always a pleasure to hear from you.
SOLO SHOWCASE - THE INTIMATE BRUSHWORK OF TERRILL WELCH
I sent out a short newsletter email to you when this show opened and did a more full presentation about the show in the previous full issue. However, here is the YouTube extravaganza with a larger than life full-immersion unique 3D experience. This unique presented by the Opulent Art Gallery does make the paintings extra fun to see, particularly from a phone device.
This solo show is in Artsy’s viewing room ends Friday, August 22 2025. However, the paintings are available ongoing with Opulent Art Gallery on Artsy (and with the Terrill Welch Gallery on artwork archive) for your continued consideration.
Opulent Art Gallery did do a beautiful job of presenting the paintings in the viewing room so, if you haven’t already, it is worth taking a look.
NEW PAINTINGS
I am pleased that to present these new fresh-off-the-easel figurative-landscape paintings in my seafloor series. I have noticed shifts in my work and in how I think about my painting process. Let me know if you experience anything that stands out.
Artist notes: It was warm and a misty summer west coast rain had settled in with the in coming tide. Seaweed gathered on the tide line and was rolled around driftwood. This is my inspiration for stretching and investigating a continuum between figurative and abstract mark making. Close up there are only loosely made marks. Yet at a distance, it almost but not quite sorts itself out, leaving plenty of room for viewer engagement if they wish.
Artist notes: Seaweed, clam, mussel and crab shells are left behind along the shore while a slack tide fails to grasp them back into the summer Salish Sea. Maybe the next tide will carry this tumbled, tangle bits sea debris away and back out to where the sandstone caps of the reef appear to bob on the still surface. I could wait for them to disappear completely into the briny depths but that too may not happen on this specific tide. Mapping in shapes of colour to support more detailed forms plays on my imaginary keys between figurative and abstract mark making, possibly completing a longer stanza than I have usually been able to manage.
Artist notes: The title “The Long Goodbye“ is frequently used in reference to living with someone who has dementia and experiencing how they slowly lose their ability to think, communicate and control their bodily functions. The loss is relentless in its grief and continuity, frequently taking years to complete its cycle towards death. This painting is about a similar process in relationship to our planet as it slowly loses its ability to support human and animal life. The data and our own experiences record the physical changes. It is then up to each of us to find our emotional path while knowing we may not have the capacity to come to terms with what is before us. In my figurative and abstract rendering of a Salish Sea tidal pool, I have asked myself to brush, push, slide and scrap my way forward while let go of any specific outcome, both for the canvas and for living in these beautiful broken moments.
Artist notes: My start is early in the company of other artists working on various projects half a world away. My iPad catches bits of sounds as we work together yet independently. The seashore feels far away but close to the surface of my internal waking tide line between sleep and consciousness. I begin by brushing in negative spaces with no previous drawing on a deep cadmium yellow ground. There is only soft daylight in the art studio at 6:30 am. I let it work with me as I mix soft neutrals and selectively place them in a manner that will leave me with an all over painting from the perspective of the child’s view. A little over an hour goes by and I have said goodbye to the other artists. I keep painting. Abstract bits of imagined sea soaked wood chips disrupt the painting surface. I am reminded that imperfections are often perfect.
Inquires on these four yet to be released paintings are always welcome as they should be ready for adventures in the next couple of weeks.
VIDEO PRESENTATION
This video presentation is academically inspired and a bit dry so feel free to give it a miss if this is not your thing. For this presentation, I am focused on my current studio practice during the summer of 2025…
REQUEST FOR USE OF MY EMILY CARR STATUE PHOTO
I received a request from Concordia University Press to use the image below in an upcoming publication about tributes we make to writers. I said yes of course. The statue is by Barbara Paterson.
I took this image in 2010 and you can read more about it in my blog post in November of that year.
Terrill Welch
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
I shall be one year older by the time I write again in September and my personal second new year will be well underway. Our small island will be settled into the beginning of shoulder season with softer light and quieter energy. August is my favourite month of the year as there is a false sense of endless summer as we feel the coolness creep into the shadows. Next week, I have a visit from an art collector from Vancouver. There are others who want to come and look at paintings but no dates are set. In addition, I am in conversation about other commissions. Everything is as flexible and tentative as my cautious optimism for the last quarter of 2025. Mostly, I am keeping my head down and focused on the immediate tasks that need to be done for us, for family visiting, for painting, for school and for the art business. It is enough for the month of August and into early September.
Tell me, what are your priorities and focus for this next month? What are you enjoying and celebrating? What fills you with hope and optimism during these challenging times? I would love to hear and catch up!
Warm regards as always,
Terrill 👩🎨❤️🎨
Member discussion