Terrill Welch by herself - issue #39 We Think We Know
Light eventually shines through even the bleakest moments of darkness. A soft filtered glow wraps around the trees outside the windows as I press my bare feet onto the hot water heated tiles under the table. I am on my second cup of coffee while David is still sleeping. There is a familiar visceral warmth expanding from my chair, across the open plan rooms and out towards the trees that surround our yard. It has been several days now since the unthinkable tragedy happened in the small northern Canadian community of Tumbler Ridge. Home to around 2,400 people, it is a small intimately connected village where everyone knows everyone. Canada has had very few school shooting or mass shootings like these. We can still list each one with clarity in our shock that something like this has happened again. I had just finished a painting the week before. This work became an unanticipated source of strength and reflection over these recent days. I have decided to start this issue with the contents of my public post and this painting. Somehow, a collective pause in your company feels necessary before we continuing on. Thank you for sharing this space with me as Canadians lean into our shared humanity, grace and strengths during a difficult time.
Then, I will move on to share a current exercise from my classes, the positive results from my second Unit of study that includes a link to my Contextual Study paper. I will share what has sold and new exhibitions. Throughout this issue, I intend to offer us strength, resilience and possibility, even during some of our most difficult moments both individually and collectively. If you can think of anything else you would like to see or hear from me, please do not hesitate to ask. Together, we shall move forward, one way or another.
WE THINK WE KNOW
In moments of silence, solidarity and grief, I reach out with my fellow Canadians to the community of Tumbler Ridge. There are no adequate words to comfort. However, I extend the best I have to offer in this recent painting “We Think We Know” and a few of the notes that I have recorded during its development…
“An inspiration—between brevity and continuity, stasis and flux. A palpable pause, a moment suspended, before the inevitable crash. Briefly we think we know when our brain and body conspire towards brief moments of stillness. It is the space between breaths and heartbeats and the curl of a wave before it washes over the shoreline, rearranging everything within its reach. I like to think I live there comforted by a web of moments between the washes.”
Take extra good care of yourself and each other today and for as many days as it takes. Sending love, kindness and caring to all who are in need, no matter where you are in a world that feels definitively smaller, more intimate and uncommonly personal today. ❤️
This painting has not yet been released as the edges are still drying. However, here is a room view so you can get the sense of it in a space.
My wish is that this painting provides small comfort to those who need it for any reason at all. For there seems to be no limits on harshness these days. I will make the painting publicly available soon and private inquires are welcomed now.
STICKY, RED AND FLAT USE ITEMS IN THE STUDIO
My classes for my final unit for my MA in Fine Art have begun. In my art journal post, I share the following about one of our rare assignment exercises…
I go to the studio and choose my objects. Red is first - my 16 year old painting apron. Sticky is next - my paint rag that was once my pajama bottoms for 10 years before taking on its latest and last job of holding wet sticky oil paint taken off of my brushes. The familiar faint smell of linseed oil rises from its tacky crunch as I lift it off the studio work table. Finally, there is a flat object - my work table. I needed to clean off my work table anyway to paint the edges on my latest painting ‘We Think We Know’. It will do nicely and is an efficient choice and gives me the first sensation of appeal for this exercise I have experienced so far. This enamel topped table has been with me since 1998 when I negotiated a fair price of $15 to rescue it from my landlord who had placed it in the basement laundry room of an old house that had been converted into apartments, one of which I rented with my young children while living far from home in a city to go to university. The table was old and the base had been painted red at some point. I stripped it down to bare wood in the early 2000’s and fixed the small drawer that is underneath the top. It most likely began life as a pastry table. I have used it in my studio since around 2010 and, with great effort, have kept it mostly clean from random paint marks by covering it with a piece of raw cotton drop cloth and newspaper that I replace as necessary.
As is likely evident, I have deep relationships with these three items following years of engagement. This is a common recurring theme in both my life and my practice. I choose my materials and objects thoughtfully and then use and reuse them until all of their goodness is used up. Whether it is clothing, cooking utensils, vehicles, paint, brushes, canvases, paper, the space I choose to work or the subject I choose to invest my time in. It is neither a crutch nor laziness nor being unadventurous but rather a well honed core character attribute. I chose these items for this exercise within a minute and organized them within ten minutes. But the first choices that had these items within reach had been made long ago. That is what precipitated my having space for freedom and exploration for this current moment.
Following some reluctance and several variations of arrangements these deeply familiar and intimate objects have come to rest in a satisfactory arrangement under my gaze. So much so that I am almost tempted to make a painting of it leaning heavily towards figurative rather than abstract mark making. Could I add anything more to the work with paint? Ah-ha! So often this question is silently asks within my practice.
Offering elements of self portrait - Sticky, red and flat use items in my studio by Terrill Welch. Original iPhone photograph taken Monday, 9 February 2026.
DISSEMINATING A NATURE-CENTRIC REPARATIVE PAINTING PRACTICE
I can now share with you that I did do quite (exceptionally) well in the assessment of my work for Unit 2 that included my major Contextual Study paper for my master’s degree. Pheewwwf! I am always relieved when I do exactly what I want and it still successfully meets expectations. This paper is too long to share within this newsletter and I really didn’t want those who have expressed interest in reading it to have to contact me separately for a PDF copy. Therefore, with a few minor changes, I have published my Contextual Study paper on my website. Before I provide the direct link, I will give you just two paragraphs from the introduction so you can decide if it might be interesting enough to consider reading further:
The seagulls scatter off the sandstone reefs as an eagle glides overhead bringing my eyes around to an eroding shoreline on (what is now called) Mayne Island in British Columbia, Canada. My public facing painting practice is intertwined, entangled, slightly tattered and diligently repaired by my relationship to this land that is my current compromised reference as home. In my contextual study, I consider the philosophical and ethical foundation of my painting practice that continues to sustain my clear-eyed resiliency and creative curiosity in new and developing ways.
I easily share the ‘how’ of my painting practice. The ‘why’ of what I do, has predominantly been kept purposefully opaque, until now. Through what Donna Haraway refers to in tentacular thinking as storytelling facts and fact telling (2016, p.31), I am using autoethnographic framework principles developed by Tony Adams (Adams, Ellis and Jones, 2013, 2022) and applied by Susan Crowley in her research presented in ‘Making Visible the Invisible’ (Crowley, 2022). I am investigating in a critical manner the reparative nature (Forrester, 2020) of my paintings that will potentially be useful to viewers, art collectors, fellow artists and further practice-led research. This new Seafloor series requires refined opportunities for audience engagement, methods of public presentation and sites of dissemination.
You are welcome to take the approximate 40 minutes necessary to read the whole paper if you wish at:
WHAT HAS SOLD
Congratulations to my art collectors who have taken this original oil plein air painting into their stewardship…
Sold - ‘Navy Channel from on High’ by Terrill Welch.
Artist notes: Beautiful evening from on high over Navy Channel for an hour of plein air painting. Mayne Island, B.C., Canada.
It is always a pleasure when a painting finds an admirer. I am deeply appreciative when a painting finds its forever home, especially during these quieter art collecting times that have persisted over the uncertainty of the past year. However, I am optimistic that Canada and other middle powers are charting a path that will lead to new economic and defence initiatives that will see many art collectors having the confidence to again invest in my original paintings which continue to be positively receive. For now, I will keep painting and keep sharing the work so that when collectors are ready, the paintings are there to consider adding to their art collections. In the future, I might need to make some adjustments to how I market and what I create in various price points. But it is all as doable as it is necessary in adjusting to this long horizon of change over the next five to ten years.
NEW EXHIBITS IN THE GALLERY POD AND SUNNY MAYNE BAKERY
Over recent weeks I have curated two local physical exhibitions. The first is in the gallery pod.
My intent with this show was to purposefully pair my earlier seascapes with these recent seafloor paintings. It seems to have worked out quite well and the feedback so far has been favourable.
Here is the direct link to all the works currently on exhibit in the Terrill Welch Gallery Pod: https://www.artworkarchive.com/rooms/terrill-welch/59ce84
The second, and smaller show, is at the Sunny Mayne Bakery Café which is the first time some of the seafloor paintings have been away from home. They seem to be handling the experience well and are pleased with the interest and attention being received. This room has been renovated since I took this photograph but the bakery has been closed to get the work completed. I will provide an updated image next issue for us.
The direct link to view the six paintings in this show is at: https://www.artworkarchive.com/rooms/terrill-welch/0bd49a
These two shows should take us into early summer when the island becomes busier and we have more gallery guests. I do reserve the right to add and take out paintings in both locations during this period.
OPULENT ART GALLERY ART FAIR PARTICIPATION
Opulent Art Gallery’s ‘Bound by Emotion’, large group exhibiting from February 6th to 27 of 2026, is an exploration of heartfelt expressions, profound connections, and the enduring influence of genuine emotion through art. Conveying depth, sincerity, and a focus on authentic bonds, highlighting love's transformative and unbreakable impact on the human spirit.
My ‘Wind and Sea’ is presented in this two part of the 3D show that is featured on their YouTube channel at:
As you may remember the international Opulent Art Gallery has been representing my work for a few years now and I always appreciate the effort they put into representing their artists. Here are a few stills that toss scale aside for an immersive 3D experience.
and another…
Also, here is the Opulent Art Gallery link to my painting on Artsy if you wish to inquire about it further: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/terrill-welch-wind-and-sea
Do let me know if you have any questions. I am happy to help as always.
ANOTHER NEW PAINTING
The latest new painting I shared with you at the beginning of this issue. But there is another…
Artist notes: I happened to look up on my way back to the car from the Hardware store just as the fog broke and pushed back across the field on the otero side of the road. In that moment, it was like the clouds had reached down to kiss the earth. All my heaviness and concerns seemed to rise into the sunlight and disappear. It was such an ordinary view to invoke such powers. I aimed for a loosely rendered study of light, land and sky that draws our attention to the beauty in what is familiar.
Again, this painting is yet to be officially released which gives you first consideration. Feel free to inquire for more information as you wish.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Meandering through recent weeks with camera in hand has offered some memorable and stunning moments. Many references never result in paintings but remain the fabric that holds space for the work that does materialize. I thought I would share a few of these with you as I concluded our time together.
We had fog off and on for several weeks during January and February. Sometimes it was just grey and others times were pure magic.
When the winter sun would break through, I found it hard not to gasp with enchantment.
Then the fog would roll back in and reshape our view many times within minutes.
I go down to Reef Bay on most days and gathered ‘landscape of the small’ views for future consideration.
Finally, I caught a low tide and was again able to slip between the reefs on the shell beds.
Eventually the fog lifted and made way for blue skies mixed with more rain. I enjoyed the brilliant blue of the skies most.
There was also an afternoon spent blossom finding in our Mayne Island Japanese Memorial Garden. I share these for confirmation that spring is indeed on its way rather than to antagonize those that still are deep in winter.
A large bunch of big daffodils. (There were grape hyacinths and small daffodils as well but I didn’t get any good photos of those.)
Snowdrops a plenty!
I also spotted some lovely hellebores.
Crocuses are blooming everywhere.
The play of stark contrast at the far side of the garden didn’t disappoint.
Then on another day while the sun is setting, I realize it is almost 5:30 pm. The days are already decidedly longer.
We even managed a skiff of snow one morning this past week.
These meanderings are continuous and deliberate in my practice. Resilience is something that I maintain and nurture. I find it requires repetitive decision making to focus on what fulfills between acknowledging what is breaking our hearts with sorrow. So much of what we experience we have no control over or influence to change. However, we do have the power to decide how we will respond and where we will place our energies. We can decide how we will keep ourselves strong, vibrant and responsive with compassion, grace and humility. We can come together in familiar and new ways to keep our vision focused on a better world. These are some of the foundational values I bring to my painting practice. May they continue to offer you something that you are seeking.
Thank you as always for joining me here and for your many private notes and conversation on social media or on the streets and trails when we meet in real time on our small island. Again, if there is anything more I can offer, do please let me know.
Sending warm regards as always,
Terrill 👩🎨🎨❤️
https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/terrill-welch/portfolio
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