When does a landscape become more like home than nearby dwellings and their inhabitants? This is a question the Canadian artist Terrill Welch often asks herself when she is considering the subjects for landscape paintings. Her conclusion is that the landscape and the seasons it responds to helps organize daily rural life. This is when “home” is expressed most clearly by the land, water and sky. Two new landscape paintings rendered as Terrill’s markings of home are being released today.

The first is inspired from where the artist lives now on Mayne Island in southwestern British Columbia.

There is a place called Mount Parke on Mayne Island that has a trail that meanders steeply up to above the cliffs behind her house and runs along the ridge. Sometimes if there is low fog it is possible to climb up on the ridge into the sun. It is like some special magic has happened.

A TRAIL ALONG THE RIDGE 30 x 24 inch oil on canvas

The second painting is inspired from Terrill’s childhood and living along the Stuart River in north-central British Columbia.

Snow is not far off and a day of kicking leaves means there is a good stockpile of winter wood. The larder is full and the winter vegetables put down. With the last heat of the sun on our back and cool northern breeze on our face, kicking leaves is a luxury between the tasks that are necessary to survive another winter.

STUART RIVER KICKING LEAVES 24 x 36 inch oil on canvas

The painting process and discoveries about the artist’s meaning of landscape as “home” are unpacked in her blog post “Painting the Canadian landscape as home”

ONLINE GALLERIES include –

ArtWork Archive original paintings and acrylic sketches currently available.

Redbubble for most photography prints

Working in progress BLOG –

Creative Potager – first place new work is unveiled. Subscribe to stay current.