Archives For soft pastel

The Darker the Better

marylizingramart —  February 15, 2011 — 4 Comments

When my long-awaited shipment of art supplies arrives on my doorstep, the joy of opening this little white box almost compares to the few times I have opened those special Tiffany blue boxes…oh, the rapture of the perfect black pastel! Okay, maybe I’m overdoing it a bit, but these black pastels are something special. I have tried many other brands, high and low-end, but no back pastel compares to Sennelier number 513. My art students and family will attest to my love of the black pastel; it is the foundation and the finishing touch to all of my pieces. When I run out of the Sennelier black, I am never fully satisfied with my back-ups, which are never as rich and dark. So when reinforcements arrive, it is a very happy moment for this pastel artist! The darker the better, hooray for Sennelier!

In Alabama, Art, Birmingham, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastels, Sennelier, soft pastel
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Forest Park

marylizingramart —  February 9, 2011 — Leave a comment


Forest Park, 10×10 Soft Pastel

Despite living in Alabama, where we may see a bit of snow each year, we have had an abnormally snowy winter. Because schools, roads and businesses close on snow days here in the South, we have had plenty of extra opportunities to rest, to stay home with our families, to enjoy warm fires and watching the snow fall. I usually find these late winter months deflating, entering “the winter blues” around early February, but this year the icy air, the bleak skies and the gray hours seem more restful than usual. Patient.

On a recent trip to St. Louis, where we saw snow on the ground for the whole 9 hours, I took a photo of a frozen river in Forest Park. The simplicity of the scene and the colors in Monet’s Snow at Argenteuil inspired this rendition of the landscape as it rests in the long patience of winter.

In Alabama, Art, Birmingham, frozen, ice, Ingram, landscape, Liz, Mary, Monet, pastels, river, Sennelier, snow, soft pastel, St. Louis, winter
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Passing Time

marylizingramart —  February 6, 2011 — 1 Comment


Passing Time, 18×24 Soft Pastel

When creating this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of stillness, waiting, and patience; the slowness of time. I chose colors of Fall turning to Winter, a time of rest, dormancy, waiting for renewal. The decay of the barn, the stillness of the cow, a calm golden day…all bringing to mind the slow and lazy passing of time.

Still experimenting with color, and the way unexpected hues can work together to create a more vibrant piece, I splashed in lots of blues, greens and reds in the hay to bring it to life…no drab browns here! The cow came together swiftly, layering the colors carefully…a feat in itself because I had a sick 3 year old boy in my lap and a dancing girl next to my chair! Moments like that make me smile, grateful that I can be an active mother and an active artist at the same time. The passing of time often seems slow, but when it comes to children, it sure seems to move quickly! This picture reminds me to take a breath, and enjoy the moments as they come, slowing down and taking it all in.

In Alabama, Ampersand, Art, barn, Birmingham, cow, farm, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, Rural, Sennelier, soft pastel, Southern
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A Change of Shoes

marylizingramart —  February 2, 2011 — 2 Comments


A Change of Shoes, 16×20 Soft Pastel

In the ever-changing process of growth, I have in this piece attempted to be more intentional and free with my color and technique. I gave greater thought to the placement and order of the colors and strokes, using the gritty texture of the board as a tool, not just as a surface. I also used quick movements to apply the pastel, to avoid being too polished.

As I designed this piece, I wanted to convey a soft, pensive mood; a pause before a beginning; a still moment, preparing for a transition; a change of shoes. As humans, we make constant changes that shape our lives for better or worse, daily choices that define us. We often change our shoes without thinking, and find ourselves in an unknown dance, retracing our steps to see how we got there. Sometimes, we pause and consider our moment, purposefully preparing for the next step, changing into the shoes that will help us live in richness, in fullness, in peace. The innocence of the child reminds me of the simplicity we hold in hearts, no matter our age. If we search through mature exteriors, responsibilities, and grown-up worries, we find fragile, equal humans…all in need of love, assurance and a chance to live out this dance in our own shoes. I hope the soft blues, greens and whites will invite a pause in your moment, and that the warmth of the reds and golds will encourage you to a vibrant life.

In Alabama, Ampersand, Art, ballerina, ballet, Birmingham, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, Sennelier, soft pastel
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Fluff

marylizingramart —  January 30, 2011 — 2 Comments


Fluff, 8×17 Soft Pastel

In my three years of a “serious” art career, I have drawn my share of sheep. Sheep in fields, sheep by rocks, sheep by walls, sheep by water, sheep on a path. Sometimes you just have to switch it up. These sheep are FLUFFY. I love how the grass and the sheep are the same kind of “puff.” Another variance in this piece from my other sheep landscapes, is that the grass has just about every color from the rainbow…lots of greens and golds and rusts as usual, but with strikes of purple and blue and red throughout the tufts. It was a nice challenge to get such a different texture in the grass, and a nice moment to pop in the cotton ball sheep as the finishing touch!

In Alabama, Art, Birmingham, Highland, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastels, Scotland, Sennelier, sheep, soft pastel
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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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