Terrill Welch by herself - issue #38 Walk Away, Pause, Decide — in Life as in Painting
Before we begin, how are you doing? Truly, let’s take a moment and pause, check in and reflect. This has been quite a beginning to the New Year hasn’t it? I would make a list of the critical and devastating events but it will be incomplete by the time you read it. If you are here, I am reasonably confident that you are still of whole critically thinking mind, functioning body and vibrant spirit. This doesn’t mean it is easy for any of us though does it? However, keep going and doing what you can to make a positive difference. No matter how insignificant you think your response might be, it does matter!
I am always quite alarmed about the amount of space that is taken up in my heart and brain when bullies are bullying. A personal history of surviving and interrogating my own emotional regulation in these circumstances has left me with some tools and strategies that I find useful in these current global circumstances. I thought I would share them with you and please feel free to share your own in the comments. I truly believe it is our collective tools and strategies for good and wellbeing that will see us through.
First, I check my surroundings to make sure that neither I, nor anyone else, is in immediate danger. If the answer is yes, I respond to get myself and all other beings to safety or make a plan on how this can happen. Second, once everyone is safe, I briefly name and acknowledge what I am feeling. The heart must be heard before anything else can be contemplated. Then, with a commitment to myself to revisit, I set these feelings aside for the moment. Third, I pause to think in reflective, critical and accountable ways. This is my time to research facts, evaluate and consider what, if anything I can do, immediately or in the future. Sometimes the answer is to do nothing or to walk away. Or it might be to stand my ground in calm defiance (if you were to ask my parents, they would tell you I exercised this response often when young). The crucial task is to take the time to think first before deciding what is next — and it is okay to ask for help, seek advice and collaborate. When my heart is pounding with fear or anger, to pause is a monumental accomplishment. However, this pause is always where I have a chance to best align to my core values, purpose, direction and leverage. In this issue, I am starting with “stirring up potential” that will then take us forward into my painting practice and what I can to do right now.
Note: for those interested, there is a special purchase offer later on in the body of this issue in the section “Offers For My Art Collectors and Serious Fans.”
STIRRING UP POTENTIAL RESPONSES TO DEVASTATING EVENTS
This available original oil painting from a couple of years ago depicts a southwest coast of Canada sunrise and seems to fit my experience of our unsettled times. This painting is where hope meets determination.
Artist notes: In December one doesn’t need to rise early for sunrise. However, when I got to the shores of the Salish Sea at Reef Bay I thought I was going to be cheated of any colour and that the drama of the morning was going to escape my hungry eyes for another day. Then it happened with a grandness that was greater than my imagination.
Today, I stand clear-eyed in my present moment and lean into a critical task to ‘make trouble, to stir up potent responses to devastating events, as well as to settle troubled waters and rebuild quiet places’ (Haraway, 2016, p.1). I am reminded of Haraway’s insistence that it matters ‘what thoughts think thoughts… [it] matters what stories make worlds, what worlds make stories” (Haraway, 2016, p.12).
Let’s go back again to the first page of Haraway’s Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene -
In urgent times [such as these], many of us are tempted to address trouble in terms of making an imagined future safe, of stopping something from happening that looms in the futures for coming generations. Staying with the trouble does not require such a relationship to times called the future. In fact, staying with the trouble requires learning to be truly present, not as a vanishing pivot between awful or edenic pasts and apocalyptic or salvific futures, but as mortal critters entwined in myriad unfinished configurations of place, times, matters, meanings.
What does it mean then if the most powerful singular country’s administration in the world speaks and acts as if it can do anything it wants without consequences? Does this assertion then become a dominant truth? The short answer is ‘no’ because singular does not exist alone but rather within a multitude of connected and interconnected historically specific relationships. Our collective matrix of existence is a counterpoint to singular anything. We just need to decided what our most important task is as part of this whole.
My most important task right now as a painter is to paint us into a place of potential responses to devastating events by providing quiet and reflective space to gather our thoughts that think thoughts. This painting is for this - for thoughts that will think thoughts in reflective, critical and accountable ways.
‘December Sunrise at Reef Bay’ is available for further contemplation in my online gallery at the link below:
I haven’t reached this place by myself but rather through reading and through exchanges with the wise counsel of many of you my friends, art collectors and colleagues. Thank you as always to so many of you for writing to or texting me privately. It is as important to listen while thinking as it is to think in the first place. I hope these musings help inform your own thoughts that think thoughts. I should note, this place of pause with paintings is not a place of escape or ignoring the seriousness of our situation. Rather, it is a place to gather strength to face whatever needs to be faced again and again with clarity, consideration and pragmatism.
Reference: Haraway, D. (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham: Duke University Press.
MY RECENT REFLECTIVE WEEKS
As I mentioned in the December issue, I did not press on at the end of Unit 2 in my studies. Rather, I have stepped back and revisited the most recent paintings, my large body of reference data, my writing and the theories and research I employed during the previous six months. I have been asking whether it stands up to a second and third critical gaze? What aspects feel most necessary to bring forward into the months ahead? And, what can I let go of or reconsidered in a different way? I have some preliminary answers to these questions though final conclusions will wait until after I have received assessment on my major paper and paintings from the Unit 2 and I have access to the requirements for the next and final Unit 3.
In the meantime, let’s browse through a few reference gathering highlights since the previous issue.
Oyster Bay with sun breaking through over the coastal mountains…
Mount Baker in two views…
Often, high tides, heavy greys and mist dominate the shoreline this time of year.
Then, almost without warning, the sun comes out sporting a rising moon.
The blue sky against the burnt orange and yellow of the arbutus trees just sings!
There is favourite tree that has been featured in more than one painting.
Still, I continue to get low at the shoreline and exploring the ‘landscapes of the small’.
Each long pause in nature offers so much. I fill the pockets of my memory and leave refreshed and ready for further work and exploration in the studio.
OFFERS FOR MY ART COLLECTORS AND SERIOUS FANS
As I mentions at the beginning, this has been quite a beginning to the year and it really doesn’t look like it is going to sort itself out anytime soon. That said, I remain here for you (and we for each other) as we find that pause which can be facilitated by my paintings — that point of critical thought that thinks thoughts because it matters. My paintings have been made for challenging moments like these and, as unfortunate as the circumstances are, the paintings are always thrilled to do their job and go to work for you. If it is of interest, and you choose, I have designed two offers to facilitate this and one bonus original painting purchase offer.
For my first offer - Create your own personal digital collection of “Terrill Welch paintings” with the title, my name and, if your device allows, my artist notes in the information section for the image.
For this offer, the first thing you need to do is creat an album or folder on your device or computer where you can save the images of your chosen paintings. It can have a Title like — ‘Terrill Welch Paintings, thoughts that think thoughts’ or something else. You decide.
Next, please feel free to browse through all of my paintings, available or sold, in the online gallery and click on the image of an inspiring painting so it opens up on your screen. The title with my name most often appears directly below it. Now, take a screenshot of that image, crop as desired, and place it in your Terrill Welch paintings folder. If your device allows, in the information section for this painting image you can copy/paste the title and ‘artist notes’ from the online gallery for easy reference later or just place the link to it in my online gallery.
For convenience, here is the direct link to my online gallery to make your choices…
For this album or folder I suggest that you choose between seven and ten of your most favourite of my paintings but no more that 24 because more than this will decrease, rather than increase, your reflective focus. Take your time choosing and add and delete over time as desired.
Alternatively, rather than an album or folder, you can create a note or word document with the title of the painting and a link to its online gallery location in a list format. Then you can use this to access the painting when you choose from the online gallery. The goal is to have a preselected collection of your favourite paintings for your reflective practice that I outline next.
I suggest the best way to use your collection of paintings for pausing to critically reflect is to choose a painting from your collection when you are feeling out of sorts or your mind is spinning or you are unable to sleep or just because. Then, read my ‘artist notes’ related to the image and make the painting image large on your screen or device.
Set a timer for 3-5 minutes and spend this time gazing at the painting with no expectations. Ask nothing of yourself except to sit with the painting.
When the time is up, revisit the reason you have come to sit with the painting and make some notes on a piece of paper or in your digital journal. These notes do not need to be structured or edited but simply whatever comes to mind. Take as long as you need.
Next, if you can, go for a 10 - 30 minute walk or simply rest where you are sitting for this length of time. This final step is to allow your mind and body to reset before moving on.
Repeat this practice as often as desired.
Final note: if you physically have my paintings in your personal art collection (as so many of you do), you can choose one of these and follow the same reflective practice to strengthen your thoughts that think thoughts.
For my second offer, if you have a favourite of these paintings in your reflective album or folder and you would like to purchase a reproductive print of that painting, let me know and I will upload it to Fine Art America for you. This is a financially modest way to have a physical image of one of my paintings for your reflective needs and it is available globally for all international fans.
For my third original painting bonus offer, if your favourite painting in your reflective album or folder is still available for purchase, and you live in Canada, United Kingdom or Europe, I am offering a 20% savings on all original paintings for the next two weeks. If you are already an art collector, your art collector savings can be both used by you AND gifted to family and friends. This quiet bonus purchase offer is only being posted to subscribers of my newsletter. You are welcome to share this newsletter issue with those within your circle. The original online version will be edited to exclude this third offer at the end of two weeks on the morning of January 30, 2026.
Please note: for art collectors and serious fans in the United States, shipping original paintings to the United States at this time can be done. But it is not straightforward and must be considered individually and it depends on your risk tolerance for uncertainty regarding tariffs and associated duty processing fees. My recommendation is to leave it for now. Instead, choose a reproductive print that is then produced in your country of delivery. Or, if you really, really want the original painting, purchase it and leave it with me in storage until this situation is resolved or you can personally come and pick it up from my gallery and take it back across the border to the United States. I know this is not ideal and I wish I had a magic wand to fix it. Unfortunately however, this is where we currently find ourselves.
In addition, if this isn’t a good time for purchasing original ‘Terrill Welch paintings’ at any price, please do not hesitate to accept my first or second offer. Owning one of my original paintings is either a personal luxury or a very determined priority (as so many of you already know). It is not a necessity to own a painting to receiving its pause and reflective benefits. So go ahead with any of these three offers, from screenshot albums or folders to a note or word document with links or reproductive prints or to purchase an original painting with a 20% savings. Please choose as your circumstances and desires require. The paintings tell me that they just want to get to work doing the job they were intended to do. The manner in which they engage with you to do this is less important.
NEW PAINTINGS
First Painting of the New Year! ‘Underwater Study’ by Terrill Welch. Soon to be publicly released. Available by inquiry now. Happy 2026 to our art collectors and serious fans!
Artist notes: I gave myself over to the rippling sea, rushing unconcerned over the broken oyster, mussel, clam shells and pebbles at the tideline. My eyes pick out shapes as they disappear and reappear under the shallow water. It is all about movement and the losing form in favour of shifting colours. The messiness is powerful in its purposeful recentring. It is not always quiet and stillness that leaves room for peace, contemplation and resilience. Often, I find it is the unpredictable glimpses into something not quite within my sensory grasp that creates the longest pause, the longest release. This is a kind of letting go study that shifts swiftly from figurative to abstract mark making without even a partial breath of separation between the two.
Let’s slip the painting into a couple of digital viewing rooms with a bit more breathing room.
My second painting is a small postcard work for an artists’ lead international fundraiser that began in 2009 on Twitter, when Twitter was still a positive force in the social media sphere. Postcard Art Exhibit, formerly known as "Twitter Art Exhibit", is an annual international showcase of hundreds of postcard-sized original artworks created by artists from around the world. Founded by David Sandum of Norway, the event is organized by a dedicated team of volunteers who sponsor a different charity each year.
This year’s exhibition, curated by Dutch artist Tessa Maagdenberg, will support the Blijft-je-Bij art program at Museum Beelden aan Zee — a groundbreaking initiative for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The exhibition will be hosted at See Lab Project Space, an artist-run cultural hub just steps from the sea in The Hague’s historic artist quarter.
The Blijft-je-Bij program, inspired by the Meet Me at MoMA initiative in New York and Dutch programs such as Onvergetelijk Museum (Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam) and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, invites participants and their caregivers to experience art together in a safe and inspiring space. Guided by specially trained educators, the program focuses on shared discovery and open conversation — helping participants reconnect through memory, emotion, and creativity.
Funds raised through PAE 26 will directly support this program, expanding access to art as a bridge to self-esteem, joy, and human connection. Each postcard art will be sold for approximately $50 Canadian.
Here is my contribution for this event.
Artist notes: I made a commitment to work in this 7 x 5 inch sized format for an international fundraising event with Postcard Art Exhibit 2026. I chose to paint the seafloor subject that I am currently exploring through a series of paintings. This child’s view composition of a unique observation during my reference gathering at Reef Bay on Mayne Island in Canada offers a tantalizing challenge for working on such a small scale. I decided on a mix of fine detail and abstract marks to gain shifting familiarity and discovery in the painting. My full sensory observation, reparative and autoethnographic painting practice facilitates my ongoing sense of inner peace and resilience.
Though this is a small work on paper, it can still hold its own when framed. Here is a digital room view to give you an idea.
Or maybe this one…
UNTIL NEXT TIME
My desire in this issue has been to confirm and validate that I am fully here as we face whatever is ahead. We are and can stand together in our thoughts that think thoughts, and the actions and decisions we make, because it matters. Bullies lose their power when we peacefully protest and offer ways to gather and strengthen our resolve across borders, across cultures, across colour, across genders, across age and across economic circumstances, to name just a few false divides. Rules rather than power base orders are only as strong as our defence of them. We must learn to say the quiet part out loud - we will need to fight to preserve what matters in creative and yet unimagined ways. I believe that my reflective painting offers are one of my best ways and most important contribution to our collective needs at this time.
We all have something specific to each of us to offer to our collective wellbeing. I would love to know how you are going to purposely act to make in your own way to contribute to our collective efforts to turn the tides toward world peace and wellbeing. No one else can do this for any of us. We all have a small or large part to play with thoughts that think thoughts and how we choose to show up. What is your offer? It could be just to sit with one of your favourite of my paintings for 3-5 minutes a day. It could you know… and I promise that it is enough to make a difference in whatever you choose to do next. Each purposeful act of focused attention is a choice that makes a difference, not just to ourselves but also to others that our lives touches.
You may ask what gives me the hubris to offer my paintings as an act of meaningful and peaceful resistance and focus for reflection. I can do this with confidence because, as art collectors and serious fans of my paintings, you have repeatedly and continually reminded me of this fact over the past fifteen years. Granted, it has most often related to your personal and individual challenges rather than global or national conflict perpetrated by your country or a neighbouring country. I am suggesting that the practices in my offers are transferable between personal and global strife… and this too you have mentioned.
Together we can do most anything. It is just a matter of what, when and how.
Warm regards, and as always, I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to email me directly at tawelch@shaw.ca .
With humble regard, thanks and great respect for our connections.
Terrill 👩🎨🎨❤️
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