Mary Wykes's Comments

Hi Mary - some absolutely stunning work here, I'm new to portraits and yours sure are an inspiration!

thanks Mary, I look forward. You have a beautiful portfolio. Excellent artwork.x

Hello Mary, enjoying your artwork. Portraiture in particular. I identify with your challenges to paint, and then consider oneself an artist. My own story is similar. Once we've allowed that, then we give ourselves permission to grow into our talent. And after that permission is given, our artist muse becomes  insatiable...demanding growth and outlet, yes? Hard taskmaster, lol.

Mary, I understand you so well. Long time ago, I had no teacher but painted a boy by copy what the photo showed me. I was so frastrated by his strawhat as there are so many tiny details. I did not know where to looking for help. So I put it away for 3monthes before I struggled on it again. Only painters know much work to get a painting done.

Happy to be friends, Mary. We can encourage each other with little studies from time to time. :-)

Paintings can change right before your eyes by just adding something else.  Tricky little suckers.  LOL  I know your brother will be so happy to see you have painted him something. 

Thanks Mary..delighted to be your friend!

Thank you Mary, very happy to accept your friends request, and good luck to you with the workshops.  I have very much enjoyed learning from Richard and indeed everyone on this site, its a great classroom! :-))

Thank you for all your kind comments........very much appreciated. Just to say I really like your work, particularly the portraiture.

Great watercolourist!!

Hi Mary ... re critiques ... the bread and butter of any artist's life. otherwise how do you know how well/poorly you are doing. No offence taken.  Re BBC site. the address is www.bbc.co.uk/yourpaintings.

I love your work Mary.  Your portraits are so natural and your flower work is just beautiful!:-)

Hi Mary,

So happy to hear from you and to know that we are now "friends" on Richard's workshops.  I have to sympathize with your husband.  I, too, am a city girl at heart.  My husband whose career was in the city of Toronto, wanted to retired to this small town to be close to his mother and sister.  A very worthy reason for doing so.  It was a bit of an adjustment as I missed my old friends, but as the years went by I've come to cherish our home here on Lake Huron.

I read your critique about the orange strip on my painting and I agree with you.  I wasn't entirely satisfied with the painting but as the 23rd had already arrived in NZ, thought that I better get it in. And wouldn’t you know! In my rush to upload the photos into the workshop site I screwed it up and entered each one twice.  Never did see the initial upload which was intended for RR's critical inspection.

Well, each is a learning experience and I'm on to the next great work of art.

By the way, that reminds me, the BBC (British Television) has on Youtube a clip on the most expensive works of art in the world.  It's a very interesting peak into the rarified echelons of megawealthy art collecting.  I don't recall all the collectors but one of the Americans was the guy who owns the cosmetics firm (Lauder); another was a guy in Las Vagas (Webb?) who owns a hotel (he owns a Picasso); the British writer Jeffrey Archer who owns a gorgeous Rothko; our own Canadian Roy Thompson owned, if I recall correctly, a Ruebens which his estate loaned to the Art Gallery of Ontario, and several Russian oligarchs collectors.  Well worth the peak as the narrator talks a bit about each painting.

Thanks Mary for your comment on my WC painting of so many years ago.  I think it was one of my first WCs.  smile  

Good morning Mary,  Thanks for the comments on my polo riders, sand dunes, and photo of a sunset for RR.  Sure.  That will make a lovely painting.  Enjoy.  I hope to paint that one day as well.  smile

Thank you Maria for your nice comments about my paintings...

Good Morning, Mary.  this exercise was a struggle for everyone.  You held your own with the gang.  Good for you.  I see all sorts of problems with my own version of the sunset.  Initially, I vowed never to attempt to glaze again.  Then I went to the alla prima exercise only to discover that I'm not so good at that, either.  So, an attitude change is in order for me.  Have a great day in Texas today, Mary.  Cheers from Lake Huron shore line in Ontario Canada.