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2 Turtle Doves

1 Dozen Donuts…Day 2 in the 12 Days of Christmas sketches

Mary Liz Ingram —  December 12, 2012 — Leave a comment
1 dozen chocolate-covered, custard-filled birthday donuts, charcoal & conte sketch

1 dozen chocolate-covered, custard-filled birthday donuts, charcoal & conte sketch

On the second day of Christmas sketches…

Today is a very important day in our household. We’ve been preparing and counting down for a very long time. Today our little boy turns five! Of course parents are all biased toward our own children, but this little dude is truly something special.

As I reflect on finding peace in this day, it is fitting that my lesson comes from Patrick:

Be happy being you

He has no shame wearing his pants backwards all day;  he once wore a Darth Vader mask out to dinner, wondering why people were looking at him; a big pack of paper and a bunch of tape makes his day.

For his special birthday dinner, the dude chose chicken noodle soup (from the can only! Very specific…no delicious homemade stuff by Chef Dad).

For his special birthday school-treat, he requested chocolate-covered, custard-filled donuts for all.

He knows what he likes. He is happy being Patrick. He is quirky, wonderful and content.

As he celebrates many more birthdays in the future, I hope he will continue to grow in his contentment…and I hope I can learn to be at peace with who I am, my quirks and faults, good parts and bad; to stop being so demanding of myself, and be thankful for my life… learning yet another of many lessons from my funny birthday boy.

Christmas can bring out our crazy, but it can also bring out what is good and kind.

Don’t be afraid to like what you like, and be who you are. We each add something unique and beautiful to the world, that wasn’t there before. What are ways you can find greater peace with who you are?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Mary Oliver

2 Turtle Doves

2 Turtle Doves

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a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Checking it twice…Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas Sketches

Mary Liz Ingram —  December 11, 2012 — Leave a comment
Making a List

Making a List, charcoal and conte sketch on paper

On the first day of Christmas sketches...

For my first lesson in making my holiday season more peaceful, I took a cue from the big man in the red suit and made a list.

There were so many tasks, wishes, duties and plans whirling in my head that it was just a big Christmas blur. No peace would come by leaving my mental state in such a mess!

During the kids’ downtime, I spent about an hour making my list, giving thought to my plans (hmmm, what kinds of gifts does mom like?), reserving time on my calendar for upcoming tasks (Christmas commissions!), getting the easy jobs done (send in that $5 for the class Christmas party!).

This organization had several benefits:

  • my list relieved me of the fear of forgetting something important
  • writing it down made what seemed so overwhelming, not so bad once prioritized
  • having it down helped me form a clearer mental space from which my thoughts can grow…(now about that present for mom…)

For me, once I have a tentative map through the holidays, the Christmas Can-Can subsides, and it all seems much more manageable. It’s like eating your broccoli first…I got the bad part out of the way, and now the good stuff can be enjoyed.

Take that, partridge.

a Partridge in a Pear Tree

a Partridge in a Pear Tree

 

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12 Days of Christmas

Christmas Can-Can

Mary Liz Ingram —  December 9, 2012 — Leave a comment

Christmas:

On your mark, get set, GO!!!! You have 25 days until Christmas, Christmas, CHRISTMAAASSS, so go, go GO!!!

Put up the lights, go grab a tree, drink your cocoa, watch those movies, play the tunes, Christmas pictures!!!, shop and bake, shop and bake, elf on the shelf? advent calendars, go see Santa! shop and bake, shop and bake! make some crafts, mail your cards, egg nog time! make some s’mores, sing some carols, go to church, light the candles, read the stories, shop and bake! now wrap, wrap, wrap and go, go, go!

An American Christmas:

As a melting pot, we have so many wonderful holiday traditions, but trying to fit them all in and not miss a beat can begin to feel like the Christmas song from Straight No Chaser: Christmas Can-Can. Chaos!!! Christmas can fly by in a whirl of anxious clutter.

It’s already 9 days into December, and even though my family and I try to reduce the crazy of Christmas, it’s already a busy blur. Continue Reading…

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Boykin Spaniel

Psychedelic Pup Transformed

Mary Liz Ingram —  December 7, 2012 — Leave a comment

I’m teaching a class to a group of beginning pastelists: Some students have read up on pastel techniques, others may have had a few classes. My first instruction always throws them for a loop: “Begin with lots of black!”

As I’ve said before, I’m a self-taught artist…When it comes to pastels, I fiddled with them alone at my art desk until I discovered results I liked. And it all started with black.

Below you will find a quick tutorial using my own technique to create vibrant, textured pastel paintings. Continue Reading…

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Love at First Sight…

Mary Liz Ingram —  December 3, 2012 — 2 Comments

Everyone remembers the day when you first met your true love. Oh, the euphoria of that first glimpse, the excitement of realizing what has been revealed before your eyes.

About 7 years ago, I was walking across a beautiful bridge in Paris, on my way to visit Notre Dame. It was a beautiful, romantic afternoon in an amazingly romantic city. The clouds were soft, the water languid…I was strolling along, making my way unexpectedly through the city, when I looked up. Continue Reading…

In Alabama, Art, pastels , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Little Feathers

Little Feathers, photograph

The sunlight glistened through the fringed canopy of Spanish moss, draped lazily over the gnarled and reaching branches of the ancient live oaks. The oaks stood a strong and timeless watch over the calm waters of the marsh and the piles of oyster shells littered among the stones and grasses of the shore. The cool autumn air hung gently in silence, bathing the walk in a fresh, friendly calm, and the little boy trotted along behind the red wagon, tasseled shirt hanging low, with bright feathers giving him distinction amongst the gold and mossy hues.

(my reflections as we spent a calm, beautiful Thanksgiving in Savannah, Georgia.)

Little Feathers

Posted by Mary Liz Ingram on December 2, 2012 In Art, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Layers of Life

marylizingramart —  November 11, 2012 — Leave a comment

Ah, the complexities of life. We all have a story, layered with triumphs, tears, mistakes, redemption, tragedies, success, joy and pain. Most of our stories are hidden behind our personas, whether they be smiling faces or bitter scowls; woven so tightly together that the layers are unseen, making up one image. These thoughts were on my mind as I created my newest piece, a 16×20 cotton boll in soft pastel. I begin my pieces with under layers of dark black followed by bright colors: turquoise, fuchsia, purple, bright green, gold:

Continue Reading…

In Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, boll, color, Cotton, experience, Ingram, layers, life, Liz, Mary, pastel, soft pastel, story , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Mini Picasso

marylizingramart —  October 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

My husband just returned from Richmond and, as usual, brought the kids a “prize” from his trip. This time, I got a prize too! A magnetic Picasso finger puppet. Words can’t describe how hilarious and amazing I think this little thing is. It cracks me up, and he is already my friend. I’m trying to decide if I should take him to work, to give me inspiration and a good laugh, or to leave him in my art room to watch me draw. I have to ask, “Who makes these things?!” but the thought that follows is, “This is AWESOME!!!” A few Picasso quotes to stir your thoughts: Continue Reading…

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Eclectic Cool was a Success!

marylizingramart —  October 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

This past Friday was “The Eclectic Art Social Club’s” second group show: “Eclectic Cool: the Colors of Calm.” Let me pause and give you a little insight/explanation into our name…we are a group of 7 “young women,” shall we say, who are serious about art, but we don’t take ourselves to seriously. We began meeting several years ago to help each other in our art careers, but mostly ended up brunching, drinking coffee and having a good time together at each other’s homes (hence “social club). Continue Reading…

In abstract, acrylic, Alabama, Art, art show, artist, Birmingham, Cecily Hill Lowe, Chi Roach, cool, Dariana Dervis, eclectic, Erin Hardin, Ingram, Liz, Mary, Parkside, pastels , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Eclectic Cool: The Colors of Calm

marylizingramart —  October 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

Birmingham area locals, come out to Parkside Bar in downtown Birmingham next Friday, October 19 for this great one night art show, featuring new works by Mary Liz Ingram, Dariana Dervis, Cecily Hill Lowe, Erin Hardin and Chi Roach. Our different subjects, styles and media will be unified by cool colors…the colors of calm: blues, greens, grays, purples. It will be a fun night, so bring your friends! Eclectic Cool: The Colors of Calm October 19 from 4:30-9:00pm Parkside Cafe & Bar, upstairs 4036 5th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35222

The Old Water Tower, 15X21 Soft Pastel on card…Here’s a peek into some of the new work for our show.

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