About

Mary E. Goodall  (Morrison) - Artist

Canadian Artist
&
Art Instructor

Contact me for original art work, prints or personal commissions

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 herein one can experience silence, still-point, and oneness with all.                           

All my paintings emerge from the special places and journeys in my life.  I take the true sense of what my eye is seeing and will bring that aspect into my paintings by merging the colours of my pallet to capture the reality of the particular subject matter.  At some point in my painting process, I become aware of a deeper meaning within myself and the world around us.  I am inspired at what is evolving; embracing detail in the way I captured the painting - in utter awe that was my paint stroke. 

My passions of subject matter ranges from landscape, floral, people and still life. All of which allows me to find the true artist of who I am.  My paint stroke or pencil line is my signature:

M. E. Goodall.

Artist Biography

Mary Goodall was born in Olds, Alberta. 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, BC during summer holidays as a child.

Her grandfather’s studio was in their home, overlooking 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.

“I love how your clouds form a living feel in the paintings,

compared to their stiffness in the photograph.

It’s a quality in a painting that gives a sort of

mysterious life to an image.”

Mike Parrott

If you look closely at Mary’s work you will see a slight resemblance of her grandfather’s hand.  Her father, Richard Goodall has a website dedicated to the Goodall family artists which can be found at the following website: www.goodallartists.ca

Mary put away her paints when she went to Red Deer, Alberta to go to college.  Her scholastic ambition was to become an accountant.  Her career in accounting grew in the corporate world.  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, BC where her parents reside.  Mary worked with a talented artist and instructor Josephine (Jo) Parrott, Ph. D, a close and dear friend of the family.  Jo taught her colour theory, composition, drawing and painting techniques such as glazing which the masters used.  This all brought inspiration seeing landscape, still life and floral in a new light and perspective. Mary blossomed her creative side by taking adhoc art courses at Mount Royal University in Calgary focusing on drawing and painting as well as other local art instructors over the years.  

Mary has worked with various mediums such as oil, acrylic, water colour, pencil and charcoal.  She also loves to work with conté as well as pen and ink.  She enjoys experimenting with mixed media.  She says the creative world never ends.  Currently, she is painting in acrylic and her focus has been landscape and floral.  She captures the sense of movement, depth, light and perspective in her paintings as well as the vibrant colours of the majestic Rocky Mountains.  Looking at her work, you can feel the coolness of the river streams whilst standing in the warmth of the sunny day.

Mary currently resides in Calgary, Alberta with her son Ryan and their golden retriever, Jasper.