Testimonials
“Mary is clearly a teacher and communicator of the highest calibre.”
Mary Attwood’s class, The Art of Seeing, is about seeing in the sense of becoming deeply aware of, not just looking at. In her sessions, art comes to life and engages you in a relationship. History meaningfully becomes the present. Art is first seen from the inside out, not the outside in.
In these courses, you are acquainted with just a few masterpieces. This contemplative practice engages our non-rational ways of knowing including felt sense and intuition, which is then followed by the analytical and historical. To me this appropriately puts the horse before the cart, the living embodiment of the art before the analysis. And it sure makes a big difference! The Art of Seeing classes are the direct opposite of being dragged bewilderedly through an art museum where beautiful works of art become meaningless blurs we stare at exhaustedly trying to surmise their meaning and forgetting what we saw nearly an hour later.
The Art of Seeing is an experience that goes with you outside of the classroom rendering the world more vibrant and alive. There is an ongoing sense of poetic wisdom that emerges from these classes impacting you in ways you would not be able to realize ahead of time. Something comes through in the relationship with the art, much like in any good relationship, life seems brighter, has more meaning and a deeper sense of joy even amidst the chaos and confusion of the day. Creativity heals. Want to feel better, take this class.
“What draws me to Mary’s courses is that she is offering me the likes of Hillman, Jung, McGilchrist and Rilke along with the artists, their art, and their lives. We are all artists of our own lives and I feel really fortunate to have found an art historian with this holistic approach. Mary’s teaching includes a whole context of culture and history, as well as the psychological and spiritual aspects of life and art.”
“Mary talks with a genuine enthusiasm for her subject….she communicates her cogent arguments, illuminating perceptions directly and without hesitation….”
“I subscribe and consider this a wonderful weekly form of both meditation and joy.
Your weekly emails with links are like small vacations when we cannot travel physically. Thank you.” Terry Price, writer and photographer
“I have attended several of Mary Attwood’s exploratory art sessions amongst other talks/seminars/webinars online during this lockdown period, and they are the best thing I’ve done- astonishing value, and something very special.
Mary’s background in art history and mythology and her in-depth understanding of different ways of seeing – intuitive and imaginative as well as evaluative, make for a marvellously rich and enjoyable experience, with a generous amount of beautiful visual material. There is an interactive element (optional) and plenty of room for participants’ comments and observations. Mary’s friendliness and professionalism make her an outstanding facilitator. I have strongly recommended these sessions to various friends.
“This has been such an enriching and eye-opening course, bringing me knowledge and new skills to connect into art in a more meaningful way. For the first time I have also felt inspired to visit a gallery to view a painting rather than wait for a curated exhibition.”
Adele Breslauer
“I cannot express my gratitude to you for taking me into the ‘Art of Seeing’. It has been wonderful! Literally wonderful! It has been one of the most exciting explorations of the mystical, philosophical and psychological aspects of consciousness that I have ever encountered – and with a fabulous group to be part of to boot.”
Julie Lawrence
“Mary has a unique ability to enlarge the experience of seeing and feeling into a painting or a sculpture through many lenses: the viewer’s immediate reaction, the viewer’s lingering contemplation, the artist’s life, a poet’s comments, a philosopher’s ideas on knowledge, truth and beauty, as well as her own unique life experiences and studies. Mary encourages her attendees to share their insights and values their unique perspectives. She creates a space for both self-awareness through art and the magic of a group experience taking us to unexpected places. For me a happening with Mary is always like participating in Keats’s weaving the web of the soul under the eye of Apollo.”
“Mary hands to us her profound perspective on and experience with art. She warmly creates a co-participatory space that beckons us to slow down and attend to a work of art. We learn that instead of looking at the art, we can subtly sense into a dynamic relational intimacy, which art in its living presence invites. We can see through and express with the art, giving voice to our experiences. Mary gives us a generous framework for moving into senseful observation, engaging imagination, enriching our lives and building upon these innate skills that are called for in our world today.”
Mary has a skill, a precious gift for creating a space, a liminal space, that allows for an opening of our minds and hearts to new ways of thinking, so shifting from simply seeing to observing deeply and profoundly in a focused and sustained way works of Art. Mary taught me to have an intention, by being contemplative, suspending preconceptions while adopting an attitude of openness and curiosity, so allowing the Art itself to speak directly to my spirit.
This has had such a powerful positive effect, not just in my appreciation of works of Art but in how I now attempt to witness become more an observer of life itself.
“Mary’s information was extraordinary – she is so deeply immersed in esoteric understanding I was really surprised to learn truly new information. Mary is also such a lovely person to communicate with and has been very open and helpful to myself and my daughter. I would highly recommend any of her courses or workshops.”
“You have opened another door to the ways we can engage with pictures.
Your knowledge of the, how shall I put it, the psychological and physiological dimension to experiencing creativity has been a revelation. When I visited galleries I found myself experiencing a
high. I found it so stimulating and I wondered why, now I am
beginning to understand. Engaging with other people’s creativity and
the product of that creativity be it music, ballet, drama sculpture or
paintings can be very exciting and deeply moving. All creativity has a
spiritual dimension. A dimension of the personal and the universal
all being in harmony. Beauty acts on our senses in a way I had never
appreciated, and am still learning about from you.
Thank you, you and the others who share are helping to find new ways of looking. I wonder if beauty in art can help us in new ways of being? Say, more empathetic, more sympathetic, more tolerant
and caring better people, I wonder…
One of the things we learnt from you, Mary, is that the creative process of engaging deeply with a picture can have both a physiological and psychological effect on us, and perhaps we are better people for the experience. Now lock down hasn’t been all drudgery thanks to Mary, and just maybe I am a better person.”
“Mary Attwood’s teachings and guiding us to & through pieces of art invites & helps us to experiencing & practicing Paul Klee’s creative credo : «Kunst gibt nicht das Sichtbare wieder, sondern macht sichtbar.”
“Mary has a gift for combining scholarly historical and philosophical background information with direct, penetrating insights into the works of art she explores with her students. She appeals to both the head and the heart and creates a warm and inclusive atmosphere in which all viewpoints are valued.”
“Mary’s courses were an inspiration after Covid, introducing me to art works I would never have seen on my own. They made me think about each work and appreciate ‘slow’ contemplative art.
I am grateful for her opening my eyes to another world.”
“Mary’s gift is not only to help people see and appreciate art, but to also see deep within themselves those reflections that support their spiritual growth.”
“I’m so pleased for the intelligent and spiritual course that you have created ! That was the best ever for me!”
“I would like to encourage any person who is considering signing up to a series of lectures or just a single lecture given by Mary Attwood to take advantage of this golden opportunity . I feel confident you will not be disappointed.
The delivery of Mary’s lectures is an enjoyable journey of discovery along with the value of understanding art. The regular monthly lecture called The Art of Seeing, with assistance and encouragement from Mary, helps the chosen study picture unfold before you.
If you would like to gain the opportunity of taking a short study course. I speak from experience when I confirm that the standard and quality is exceedingly high and equates well with any virtual web courses that are available. In fact to call it a lecture makes it seem very dry and serious but that is not a fair description as the focus of the lecture is well researched and because of the manner in which it is delivered you discover, on reflection afterwards, that you have been able to retain a large proportion of the study topic.”
Christine Hughes
Student
“I met Mary when she ran an art appreciation class locally to me, on a Saturday. I was entranced by her knowledge – and the way she made a subject that could be thought of as ‘dry’ by some, totally fascinating! When I heard Mary was offering a National Gallery tour, showcasing ‘Awakening the Senses to Art’, I booked my place immediately. Through Mary, I am learning so much about how to look at art and she makes me want to discover even more. I have no idea how she manages to retain all those facts – and still make the chats sound interesting and not like a list!”
“Just wanted to thank you again for an amazing few hours on the 13th.
Your workshop was the most engaging and rewarding piece of learning I have experienced in a long while. I loved the way you shared so much knowledge and love of art in a short period of time. The workshop was focussed, challenging and enjoyable, which is a testimony to your experience and passion for what you are doing.
I have found with workshops over the last ten years that they tend to become diluted to appeal to too wide an audience, so I was so thrilled to come away with so much to think about and be challenged by, plus ideas to work on further. I would love to come to another one of your workshops…a follow on from this one would be amazing; or a different event or gallery visit.
With warmest wishes and a big “thank you”,
“Mary does not ‘teach’ as such; she introduces a painting (or an artist, or an idea) and then enters a process of mutual discovery as a co-explorer, always stimulating an attitude of ‘gazing’ and encouraging a heart response. She fosters the development of individuals having an openness of vision to perceive what is going on in themselves as well as what the basic intention of the artist might be. Mary’s classes are inspirational. They have a spiritual dimension in the broadest sense, and encourage the participator to find their ‘inner eye’ to perceive not so much facts and figures about artists and art history, but how art can change us. At the same time, Mary is very kind and attentive to all her students, and respects everyone’s contribution. Her classes are wholly accessible both to folk who have in-depth experience of ‘art appreciation’ and those who have little.”
“What is Art Therapy? To me, it is the way to show the infinite knowledge of imagination one could participate, as Mary Attwood quoted Heraclitus, “we can never step into the same river twice”. Mary is a rare gifted soulful art historian with the talent of allowing one to see one’s own eternal delight through cleansing the door of perception, the invisible within, “the work of soul”. This “cleansing” could awaken the third eye, the eye of the divine soul to see one’s own authentic vision through the contemplation of art. The interesting question to ask is, would a collective contemplation of art transcend individual imagination more intensely than isolated effort? Is the participation of imagination ultimately individualistic or collective ?