Canadian Artist Terrill Welch’s  solo show “Above the Stacks – land and sea” is up at the at the Emily Carr Branch of the Greater Victoria Library for September and October of 2016. The eight large paintings can be seen below as they are gathered for packing in preparation to be transported from Mayne Island to Victoria, British Columbia.

Located at 101-3521 Blanshard St. (at Uptown) in Victoria B.C., the branch is open Monday – Saturday, 10:00am to 6:00pm, and is closed on Sunday.

As you come into the entrance, there is a rack with brochures and information to the the right. Be sure to pick up your rack card about Terrill Welch to take with you before heading up the stairs. The card has a short bio, contact information and online links on the back for later reference. It also makes an excellent bookmark 😉

Looking up the stairwell to the first landing, you will get a glimpse of the smallest of the large paintings in the show.

“Sea and Sun Cox Bay Tofino BC” is a great textured work to view up close.

On the second landing, an arbutus tree stands gracefully in a tangle at the edge of the sea. The painting is easily viewed both coming and going with the stairs making it easy to adjust to individual eye levels.

Art in public spaces such as a library are truly for the people and allow for art to be an engagement with our ordinary-everyday. There is a somewhat utilitarian connection that develops between the magic of paint on a canvas and walls where emergency lighting, red fire hydrant taps and stacks of books frame a landscape view.   Historic Canadian landscape painter, Emily Carr, would have liked that.

There are several prints, large and small, of Emily Carr’s paintings as part of the permanent work on display in the Emily Carr Branch.

To the right of this print is a quote in big wood letters…

Terrill agrees with these sentiments and she is pleased to have her work alongside Emily again. As you may already know, this isn’t the first time their work has been placed shoulder-to -houlder. Terrill Welch already has two paintings in collections that include such renown Canadian landscape painters as Emily Carr, A.Y. Jackson and Lawren Harris.

On the far wall, there are three very unique view of the west coast landscape.

 

But, it was these last three paintings that led to the name of the show being “Above the Stacks – land and sea.” The first painting on the right is the only one of the eight that is based on Terrill’s working trip to Prince Edward Island this spring.

You are always welcome catch a ferry and come to Mayne Island to visit Terrill in her strawbale-timberframe home studio. Or you can drop by her website day or night, from anywhere in the world to catch up on studio news including new releases, shows and sales.

But, there is nothing quite like some open space, bright walls, and the hush of a public library to enjoy, ponder and consider these large Canadian landscape oil paintings. If you live in Victoria or happen to be visiting, do take the time to drop by and have a browse!

Here are a few words from someone who did….

“Very few events could entice me to venture into the morass that is known as “Uptown”… but I’m so happy I went today, to the Emily Carr Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library, to bask in the display of Terrill Welch’s large landscape paintings. Terrill it was such a pleasure to see your work live! Photos and Facebook are fine but can never capture the live work. With each of your paintings I was able to imagine you applying the paint, making your marks, immersed in creation. I loved being able to inspect them close up and to stand back and allow the bigger effect to sink in. I fell in love with “Evening – The Arbutus Tree” (I love all your arbutus trees but this especially). The softness, the tones and the abstract forms gave a strength and softness that is so appealing.“ ~Jan Godfred

All these paintings are for sale and details are available these and other paintings in the online gallery HERE.

Terrill would like to thank the great hanging team who worked with her including Carolina, Wayne (the ladder person) and David! Also, a huge thank you to the Emily Carr Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library for this invitation and opportunity.

ONLINE GALLERIES include –

ArtWork Archive original paintings and acrylic sketches

Redbubble photography and painting prints and merchandise

Work in progress BLOG –

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