Pizza Break

marylizingramart —  July 11, 2012 — 1 Comment

Pizza Break, Ink Sketch…Here are a few things about me: I try hard to eat healthy food and to feed my children well-balanced meals. I buy organic products when I can. In a small effort to “save the planet,” I always use “real plates” to eat on, and we use fabric napkins. I have three kids and a pretty demanding job, along with being an artist. I try to keep my house tidy, my family happy, and all my neat little ducks in a row. I try to go an extra step, do a little more…but sometimes, you have to know when to give yourself a break. To order a pizza with no vegetables and eat on paper plates. Today was that sort of day; tonight, that sort of night. I woke up this morning with just enough time to get ready and out the door with my three side-kicks in tow…no time for a morning sketch. Part of this “artistic endeavor” is to be realistic about my place in life at this moment in time…and sticking to my own rules to the detriment of my sanity is something I can do without! So pizza night it was, and evening drawing it is!

In Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, break, children, evening, Ingram, ink, Liz, Mary, organic, pizza, sketch
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Quiet House

marylizingramart —  July 10, 2012 — 1 Comment

Quiet House, Ink Sketch… On the third day of my “morning sketches,” it is really hard to wake up. This morning my alarm was a hungry baby, and my house was softly lit with the morning light, cool, cozy and silent, except for the soft hum of a fan. I almost retreated back into my piles of blankets and pillows and caved for a little more sleep. Willpower won out, be it groggily, and I climbed out of bed and fumbled into a chair at my grandmother’s sewing desk. This morning’s drawing shows the only other somewhat-awake being in the house, my cat George. His own sleep disturbed by my clumsy movements, he stared at me awhile, an expression of sleepy questions as he stay nestled among the puffs and folds of my small down blanket. As I drew my layers of warm coverings (stubbornly odd, I know, in the 100 degree Alabama summer heat) and pillow, still with a sunken spot from where I rested just minutes earlier, I really wanted to put down my pen and go back to sleep. But it never hurts to push on, to give a bit more effort. And to drink some strong coffee.

In Alabama, Art, artist, bed, Birmingham, blanket, cat, drawing, Ingram, ink, Liz, Mary, morning, pillow, sketch, sleep
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Dancing in Clover

marylizingramart —  July 9, 2012 — 1 Comment

Dancing in clover, Ink sketch… My older kids in bed, last night I found myself alone in my quiet den with my baby girl, the songs of Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong filling the space. With her soft cheek and baby’s breath on my face, I swayed to the music, flooded with love and gratitude for what matters most in my life. I remember seven years ago, dancing close to my husband, he dressed in a tux and I in a cranberry tea dress barely fitting over my pregnant stomach…happy and in love. I remember holding my first baby girl, dancing in my Georgia home, amazed that anything so beautiful could exist, baffled that I played such a part in her existence. Several years later, dancing gently to Etta James with my tiny son, desperately in love, my heart bursting and happy tears flowing as he grinned, so small and new. And last night, there I was again, holding an amazing gift, an unexpected joy, thinking of the immensity of love that encompasses my life. And I am grateful…my heart is wrapped in clover.

In Alabama, Art, artist, baby, Birmingham, clover, dance, dancing, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Ingram, ink, Liz, Louis Armstrong, love, Mary
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Back in the Game

marylizingramart —  July 8, 2012 — 2 Comments

“Tree of Life,” Ink sketch All wrapped up close together in our little house, we’ve added a fifth person to our family. My sweet baby is just now old enough for me to steal some time away, to turn my thoughts, for at least a few moments, inward to the world of art. When I look inside and peruse my creative thoughts, I see a very different world. With so much time passed between my last stream of art and today, my life has changed. The birth of a child, the growth of a life, the changing tides of my life to a brighter, stronger place…what images stir within me, waiting to be formed with pen, pastel, paint and paper? It’s time for a renewal, to reinvent once again. I find an eager peace in the cycle of my art, that over the past few years I have come to recognize-high times and low times, ever-changing, twisting and turning to the creation of something new. I’m starting slow, with my small bits of time. Searching for what lies within, to see what will surprise me when I use my hands and let my broken, unplanned thoughts take shape. Thanks to a friend and art colleague’s recent art, Sunny Carvalho‘s morning drawings, I’m beginning my renewed journey with “Morning Sketches.” Each morning for two weeks I plan to draw whatever comes to the forefront of my mind-no concrete plans, no restrictions-just to see where it leads me. And if this endeavor does not lead me to a new starting place, it still leads me to further exploration of this new, complex and wonderful phase of my life.

In Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, Ingram, ink, life, Liz, Mary, Paper, pastels, sketch, tree, tree of life
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Family Farmhouse

marylizingramart —  December 13, 2011 — Leave a comment

After a slow few months of art production due to the lovely symptoms of pregnancy, I’m finally back at my desk! With a baby girl kicking at my belly whenever I squash her against my art table, I have recently completed this family farmhouse, bringing together about twenty photos to include many family memories of a very kind lady.

In order to incorporate so many features, I approached the piece with a leaning towards folk art rather than perfect realism and proportion. I used the same set of colors throughout the painting to keep the images together as a whole. My sweet client and I are both happy with the finished piece, and I am looking forward to beginning my next painting!

Family Farmhouse, 18×24 soft pastel on board

In Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, commission, farm, farmhouse, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, Rural, Sennelier, soft pastel, Southern
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Upcoming Shows!

marylizingramart —  November 29, 2011 — Leave a comment

Come out to Park Lane in English Village, Mountain Brook from 4:00-8:00 this Thursday December 1st for the annual Mountain Brook Art Association’s Holiday Show! This is a fun event with delicious food and drinks catered by Kathy G. Come browse great art and buy some unique holiday gifts! I hope to see you there!

For the month of December, I will have over 20 pieces on display and for sale at Brookwood Medical Center. Look for my art in the main lobby and the doctor’s lounge!

In Alabama, Art, art show, Birmingham, Brookwood Medical Center, Holiday Show, hospital, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Park Lane, pastels
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Roman Columns

marylizingramart —  October 2, 2011 — Leave a comment

Roman Columns, 18×24 Soft Pastel on Board

Here is the fourth installment in the Italian series done by commission for a private collection here in the Birmingham area. My husband and I took a photo of these dramatic columns in the Roman Forum years ago, and I have always thought they would make a beautiful pastel!

In Ampersand, Art, artist, Birmingham, columns, commission, Ingram, Italy, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, Roman Forum, Rome, Sennelier, soft pastel
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View from Fiesole

marylizingramart —  August 22, 2011 — 1 Comment

View from Fiesole, 24×36 commissioned pastel

This is the newest addition to one of my most gracious client’s collection of pastels. “View from Fiesole” will hang with the “Trevi Fountain” and the “Spanish Steps.” And there is one more pastel of Italy to come, so stay tuned!

The Trevi Fountain, 24×36 Soft Pastel

The Spanish Steps, 30×30 Soft Pastel

In Alabama, Art, Birmingham, commission, fountain, Ingram, Italy, Liz, Mary, Pastelbord, pastels, Rome, Sennelier, Siena, soft pastel, Spanish Steps, Trevi, Tuscany
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The Coast of Maine

marylizingramart —  August 20, 2011 — Leave a comment

The Coast of Maine, 16×20 Commissioned Pastel

I love the challenge of drawing the ocean, and especially the ocean spray as the waves crash upon the dark rocks. This piece is similar to my earlier pastels of the Scottish coast, with the wonderful contrast of darks and lights. I love using the many blues, greens, and whites intermixed with the unexpected hints of burgundy and ochre hidden in the water. The rocky coast in this particular piece was very interesting, with its striated texture glistening in the sun.

In Alabama, Ampersand, Art, Birmingham, commission, Ingram, Liz, Maine, Mary, ocean, Pastelbord, pastels, seascape, Sennelier, soft pastel, waves
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“Paper from the Past”

marylizingramart —  August 12, 2011 — Leave a comment

At an art show last spring I met a fellow pastel artist and, after some discussions about techniques, we did a paper swap. I gave him a piece of Sennelier La Carte pastel card, and he generously gave me a large sample of a pastel cloth. I like to call this one “paper from the past,” because a) he bought it a very long time ago and can’t remember the brand, b) after research, it is very hard to find information about pastel cloth, and c) it doesn’t seem to be made much anymore, if at all.

I discovered two possible sources for pastel cloth, which comes in a roll and is a synthetic, unwoven fabric, with a coating similar to sanded papers, that will hold layers of pastel. NY Central Art Supply and Sennelier both make/have made a pastel cloth.

The cloth can be cut to the desired size, but needs to be mounted or secured in some way to keep it from curling. It can also be stretched like a canvas. Since I was experimenting, I just taped all four sides down with masking tape.

I cut several pieces and taped them down to a board and decided to try a few things. First I layered some pastels, browns, oranges and ochres, and painted with a brush and water. Then I added details of a lily in my yard. The result pleased me well enough: the paper held the layers well, the water did not affect the paper adversely, all brands of pastels that I tried worked fine (Sennelier, Rembrandt, Gallery, Derwent pastel pencils). 

5×7 Soft Pastel on Pastel Cloth

For the second “test” I tried a simple picture with my usual techniques. Again, the results were satisfactory, but I felt that the texture wasn’t as deep as I usually get by layering on Ampersand Pastelbord or Sennelier La Carte pastel card; the colors blended just a bit more.  

While I enjoyed trying and learning about a different surface, the benefits of pastel cloth, mainly the texture, are overshadowed, in my opinion, by the downside of it being a cloth. My “verdict” is biased because of my preference for a hard board or card on which to work, and it seems like an unnecessary step to mount the pastel cloth on a hard surface when I could just buy another surface with a similar texture that is already sturdy.

With pastel cloth being hard to find, and made somewhat irrelevant by the numerous types of sanded papers that can also be used with wet or dry mediums (such as Wallis Paper), it may be more convenient and less frustrating to try another surface.

But to those who already have pastel cloth, or like the ability to stretch or mount it onto the size and surface you want, you can create some beautiful pieces of art!

Check out the art by my friend Daniel Curry, who has done several pieces on pastel cloth and so kindly shared some with me!

View his work at www.dcurrycreations.com

In Alabama, Ampersand, Art, artist, Birmingham, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Paper, Pastel Cloth, pastel pencils, Pastelbord, pastels, review, Sennelier, soft pastel, texture
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