The Goodall Family Of Artists |
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Artist Statement |
My work is spiritual and centering, often felt with
simplicity yet with detail, expressing in colour and composition. It embodies
the harmony and mystery of the beautiful world around us, creating a peaceful,
harmonious space and feel wherein one can experience silence, still-point, and
oneness with all.
All my paintings emerge from the photos I have taken. At times the camera does
not capture the true sense of what my eye is seeing at the time, so I will bring
that aspect into my paintings by merging the vibrant colours of my pallet to
capture the feel of the day when the picture was taken with my paint. As soon as
the paint is applied to my canvas, the process flow tells me what to do next
based on my subject matter. At some point in this process I become aware of a
deeper meaning and I keep this in mind as I continue. So many times I will get
lost in what I am building on the canvas, even the concept of time. When I take
the break to step back and look at what is being captured on my canvas I am
taken aback at what is evolving. At times I will look at my work and embrace my
detail in the way I captured the subject matter being in utter awe that was my
paint stroke.
Biography |
Mary Goodall was born in Olds, Alberta, in 1968. As a child she loved to draw and even when only 4 years old always stayed within the lines in her colouring books. She discovered painting at an early age primarily working in oils. She loved to paint flowers and portraits. She sold her first painting in Grade 9 of a blue jay which she painted in oil. Even at that young age she stepped out of the box of conventional painting and painted the bird on a thin sheet of lacquered pine her father cut for her in his workshop. She used a toothpick to paint the picture. Mary comes from a long line of family Goodall artists dating back to 1794. Her grandfather Edward (Ted) Goodall was her main inspiration. She remembers being at her grandparent’s home on Richmond Road, Victoria, British Columbia, during summer holidays as a child. Her grandfather’s studio was in their home which over looked their garden pathways, raspberry bushes and oak trees. She loved to watch her grandfather draw and paint. You will still see Ted’s water colour paintings in Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Vancouver and Victoria. If you look closely at her work you will see a slight resemblance of her grandfather’s hand.
She put away her paints when she went to college in Red Deer, Alberta. Her ambition was to become an accountant. It was not until the early 1990’s that she started getting back into her painting. She would spend her summer holidays in Salmon Arm, British Columbia where her parents reside. Mary worked with a talented local artist and instructor Josephine (Jo) Parrott, a close and dear friend of the family. Jo taught her colour theory, painting techniques such as glazing which the masters used, composition, and drawing, which all brought inspiration seeing landscape, still life and floral in a new light and perspective. As well, Mary would take adhoc art courses at Mount Royal University in Calgary focusing on areas of drawing and painting. Currently Mary has taken a sabbatical from the corporate accounting world and has been totally absorbed in her art. She is working with artist and instructor Nancy Lynn Hughes. Nancy is also another inspiration in Mary’s work.
Mary keeps her married name Morrison, but her art work has the signature of M. E. Goodall (Mary Elizabeth Goodall). Mary currently resides in Calgary, Alberta with her son Ryan Morrison and their golden retriever Jasper.