Amarillo: Faces, Places & Open Spaces

BECHTOL
FINE ARTS
David and Mary Bechtol have
shared a life together, each with
individual talents, but with one creative
heart. Mary has loved art since
she was a child and has painted
since she was in third grade. She
uses art to outwardly express what
she feels on the inside about the
world around her. Although she is a
registered nurse, and has worked in
other fields, art has been a constant
love throughout her life. Mary has
studied art for many years, at West
Texas A&M University, with watercolorist
Stephan Kramer, Charles
Reid, Charles Sovek, and Scott Burdick. Her
most recent mentor, Rick Howell, has taught
her to have the courage to express herself in
her unique way.
Mary first noticed inflections in shades,
hues, and tones while traveling in the back
seat of her family’s car as they moved from
one place to another. Mary describes what
she saw as “the landscape in motion.” Using
a distinctive ability to capture
inflection and harness
light, Mary brilliantly illuminates
each canvas. She
creates paintings with a
limited palette of four or
five colors. Her ability to
infuse color with the light
she captures with her
brush enables her to create
a “rich rainbow of color in
each piece.”
Mary includes at least one bird in her
landscape paintings. She shares a love of
wildlife and bird watching with her husband
David T. Bechtol, D.V.M. He has coupled his
career in veterinary medicine with photography
of landscapes, birds, and other wildlife.
His unforgettable trip to South Africa as a
consultant to vaccinate Roan Antelope for
anthrax from a helicopter created a passion
for conservation and wildlife/nature photography.
David’s ability to capture intimate
moments among his wildlife subjects brings
forth images with exquisite insight. His gift of
portraying the essence of each creature in its
habitat provides glimpses into often unseen
worlds where wildlife lives free from human
interference. His bird photography skillfully
seizes minute detail and movement that
brings unparalleled clarity to the beholder.
Like Mary, David has acquired a love of
light and shadow that has been applied to his
photography. Both have the gift of capturing
magical elements of their subjects and
bringing the joy of light to their work. Many
years of work and study have brought
the Bechtols to a place of fruition in their
journey with art. David and Mary both have
participated in the Coastal Bend Photography
Contest in Corpus Christi, Texas, and David
was invited to compete with nineteen other
professional photographers in the Images
for Conservation Fund. Today, each has a
studio at the Galleries at Sunset Center.
Mary’s paintings are displayed at Studio 88
and David’s photography is displayed at
at Studio 83H.
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