Archives For Art

Train Whistle

marylizingramart —  January 20, 2011 — Leave a comment

Train Whistle, 14×18 Soft Pastel

I snapped a quick photo out the window of the car as my family and I were traveling through rural Alabama toward New Orleans. It wasn’t really a great shot; pretty boring as a photo. But through the vibrant softness of pastels, I could enhance the moment to show beauty in an average sight…train cars moving steadily beside the interstate, through the thick green trees of my home state, under a sky that evokes wonder and a bit of mystery. Swirling clouds, light and dark; a mixture of moods.

My home is situated near enough to hear train whistles in quiet moments. The sound permeates those moments when I am drifting off to sleep or reading quietly in my room. I hear it as I walk to my car on early winter mornings, its sound crisp and steady. The almost mournful tone speaks to me in almost-understood ways; it lingers and causes me to pause, to catch my breath and soak in the moment in which I find myself. I have heard it in some of my darkest moments…it draws out my sadness as a breath draws air, traveling languidly through the night. I hear it on hopeful mornings and I pause to see the beauty in my life, and the places I am going. It reminds me of journeys taken and journeys that lie ahead. It is a treasured sound I can recall from childhood; a sound that touches my soul.

In Alabama, Art, Birmingham, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastels, Rural, Sennelier, soft pastel, Southern, train, train car
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Full Body Portraits

marylizingramart —  December 29, 2010 — Leave a comment


Many of the commissions I have had lately have been for full body portraits. In these pieces, I enjoyed the unity of the background and subject, with colorfully muted backgrounds and vividly detailed figures.

In Art, Birmingham, boykin, commission, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, portrait, Sennelier, soft pastel, spaniel
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The Trevi Fountain

marylizingramart —  December 18, 2010 — 2 Comments

The Trevi Fountain
24×36 Soft Pastel

I have spent the past several months working away on many commissions…portraits, dogs, flowers, and even a fish. Since most will be Christmas gifts, I cannot share them until after the holidays, but the largest one can now be displayed. This large pastel of the Trevi Fountain in Rome was a very triumphant piece for me. When I normally create a piece of art, I have many moments of “completion,” which bring a sense of accomplishment and energy: the sky is finished, the tree line complete, the grass is in place, etc. On the Trevi Fountain, where almost the entire piece is one unit, I worked for several days, layering colors, never completing any area. The whole 24×36 inch board was unfinished until I put on those last highlights…then “ta da!” it appeared. All that was left was the bright aqua water swirling beneath the impressive figures perched upon the rocks.

In Alabama, Ampersand, Art, Birmingham, commission, fountain, Ingram, Italy, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, Rome, Sennelier, soft pastel, Trevi
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A New Contrast

marylizingramart —  October 7, 2010 — 1 Comment



These pictures began to take shape on the way home from a family vacation to the Gulf Coast, when my sister sent me a photo via her phone, taken in transit, of hay in a field. I found great interest in the quality of the picture, with dark edges, blurred grass full of movement, a quick and simple snapshot of a familiar rural Alabama scene.

When I began creating the pieces, drawn outside in the newly-cool Fall air, I once again unconsciously intermingled my current state of being into the art. The brightened, more vibrant colors mixed with the darkening edges mirror my mood this week; happy, hopeful and full of rich life, with a bit of darkness lingering in the edges. The intermingling of Joy and Woe revisit my thoughts. I see a great contrast in life…the good and bad, the happy and sad, the rage and peace, the love and hatred, the energy and fatigue.

This new moment in my artistic journey of greater contrast, heavier color and darkened edges was a surprise to me…an unplanned development. The brightness darkening feels a bit ominous, like something is about to happen; like when you walk outside and know a storm is coming, when you can feel the pressure in the air. A heavy moment of stillness, a pause before the event begins.

In Alabama, Art, bale, barn, Birmingham, fence, hay, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastels, Rural, Sennelier, sky, soft pastel, Southern
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