Visiting Marty & Richard
and Susan & Bill

links fixed See art by these artists on the DARts Supporting Member pages:
Marty Ray, Richard Ray, Susan Lecky and Wilbert Verhelst

 

Looking out Marty and Richard Ray's front window

Story + Photoraphs by JR Compton

One of the better perks of this job is that I get to visit Dallas artists in their homes and studios, where I not only take pictures of their work, but I sometimes also get to take photographs of other interesting and unique art and other things along the way. And I get to engage active, intelligent artists in art conversation.

 

I've been lucky enough recently to visit two couples, all four of whose work is distinctive and almost wildly different.

Susan Lecky is a painter whose work reminds me of abstract, colorful maps or perhaps camoflauge for a color filled, fantasy world.

Her husband, Bill Verhelst, whom I still like to describe as having written the book on sculptural materials (because he did), taught sculpture at SMU. Then as now, he makes fanciful small and large structures unlike anyone else's I have ever seen.

 

a window setting at Marty & Richard's home
Note the early Frances Bagley on the right.

 

Marty Ray makes pots. She teaches ceramics and sculpture at NorthLake College in Irving and instigates things — like the White Rock Lake Artists Tour and the recent Texas Mud show (although she didn't appreciate that title) at DCCA.

Over the years I've been paying attention, her pots have evolved to portray dynamic, complex scenarios involving art and artists and making and exhibiting art.

 

Richard Ray may be the most modest yet prolific painter I know. I am especially fond of his Dallas-area land- and city-scapes. On this visit, I was introduced to his flowers, with which I immediately fell in love.

I hope Richard will have a major show and sale of them soon, since he has stacks — perhaps at this year's White Rock tour. I'd love to see them all over their colorful back yard — priced to sell.

I have been in both these houses before. All four artists participate in the White Rock Tour. And I photographed their work for their first and now second DARts Supporting Member pages. All four are resubscribing members of our elite but open group.

These visits have in common that after the fifteen minutes or so it takes to photograph their work, we all sit and visit awhile, usually for several hours of fascinating art conversation.

 

Support this site. Become a Supporting Member to get your own
web page, entry in DARts shows & other benefits,
or sign up as a DARts Subscriber for full access to all of
DallasArtsRevue's information pages.

DARts Members Index

top

DARts Index
Art Calendar

since June 15, 2005