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You’re a mean one…Day 11 in the 12 Days of Christmas Sketches

Mary Liz Ingram — December 20, 2012 — Leave a comment

Mr. Grinch, charcoal & conte sketch on paper

On the eleventh day of Christmas sketches…

Today I think my shoes must be too tight…or maybe my head isn’t screwed on just right.

More likely, it’s because I went shopping on a very windy day with a baby sans-stroller and a mischievous little boy. I am feeling a bit Grinchy…enough of the presents, the ribbons, the wrappings, the tags!

Now back at home in my store-free haven, (where I still may be a bit testy…), I’m trying to shake it off and rekindle my Christmas spirit!

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
-Dr. Seuss

11 Pipers Piping

In Art Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, charcoal, Christmas, drawing, Grinch, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastels, sketch, soft pastel, thoughts

Slow as Molasses…Day 9 in the 12 Days of Christmas Sketches

Mary Liz Ingram — December 18, 2012 — Leave a comment

Old Wooden Train, charcoal & conte sketch on paper

On the ninth day of Christmas sketches…

Slow as molasses. This phrase has NEVER been used to describe me.

I’m a busy lady, like those “9 Ladies Dancing,” and I like to get things checked off the list and done ASAP. On the go, that’s me.

It’s early morning and I am (shockingly) awake. It’s quiet and dark, and I hear a Birmingham train whistling in the distance…the world is slow and sleepy. My cats are stretching, the neighborhood is still. An important piece to my Christmas journey has floated into my thoughts:

take it slow.

There are so many wonderful things we like to do at Christmas: the carousel at the mall, Zoolight Safari at the zoo, advent calendar activities, visiting Santa, watching all our Christmas movies, making S’mores on the fire; we thought about taking a quick trip to Atlanta or Nashville.

All those activities are fun, but too much fun is just too much. We’ve resolved to take this Christmas slowly…

do less, enjoy more.

I can already breathe easier, as the sun begins to rise and the sky begins to lighten. Longer hugs, slower S’more roasting sessions, less rushing, less fussing, more peace, less pressure.

We’re taking the slow train this Christmas, and enjoying the view.

9 Ladies Dancing

In Art, Uncategorized Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, charcoal, Christmas, drawing, Ingram, life, Liz, Mary, pastels, sketch, slow, soft pastel, thoughts, train

My Nose is Blinking…Day 8 in the 12 Days of Christmas Sketches

Mary Liz Ingram — December 18, 2012 — Leave a comment

Silly Girl, charcoal & conte sketch

On the eighth day of Christmas sketches…

It’s hard to take “eight maids-a-milking” seriously…several applicable jokes come to mind, but I’ll keep my snickering to myself and spare you.

It’s been a heavy few days. Like many parents, it was hard to send my 1st grader off to school today, and I kept my eyes peeled in my preschool office, watching out the window and thinking of all the “what ifs” that have been haunting Americans since Friday.

It’s easy to get sucked into fear… But we remember these words at Christmas: “do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of a great joy!”

We have life. We have joy. We have “maids-a-milking” jokes, reindeer antlers and blinking light-up noses, Christmas Vacation, silly songs, laughter and love.

Eat, drink and be merry! Life is short, life is good.

8 Maids-a-Milking

In Art Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, charcoal, Christmas, drawing, fear, Ingram, joy, life, Liz, Mary, nose, pastels, rudolph, sketch, soft pastel, thoughts, vacation

Paper Shoes…Day 6 in the 12 Days of Christmas Sketches

Mary Liz Ingram — December 16, 2012 — Leave a comment

Paper Shoes, charcoal & conte sketch

On the sixth day of Christmas sketches…

Today was a good family day… much needed in the midst of mourning over “inhumanity” and the remembrance of little children near and far whose lives have been stolen. My emotions, as so many others are experiencing, have swung like a pendulum all day: I picture the faces of frightened children and I weep; I sing Christmas songs with my children and feel warm; I think of the children who won’t ever have another Christmas and I hurt; I choose gifts for my children and I feel proud of who they are.

Tonight we loaded up to finally get our Christmas tree. As we entered the garden section of a nearly-deserted Lowe’s, curious attention and questions were directed at my son.

That would be because he was shuffling along in paper shoes.

Apparently, we didn’t notice him get into the car without real shoes, so his homemade paper and blue painters-tape shoes it was. We bought a slightly scraggly clearance tree, strapped it to the top of our Jeep, and the kids sang “We Three Kings” loudly all the way home.

It’s tempting to be paralyzed by fear, to want to tuck my children away, like eggs in a nest, sheltering them from harm. But that’s not living. Living is wearing paper shoes because you want to, singing loudly, and laughing at your Christmas tree…

living in love, not in fear.

“I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love. ” -Linus, A Charlie Brown Christmas

“All you need is love. Love is all you need.”

-the Beatles

6 Geese-a-Laying

In Art, quotes Alabama, Art, artist, Beatles, Birmingham, charcoal, Charlie Brown, Christmas, drawing, Ingram, life, Liz, Mary, paper, pastels, shoes, sketch, soft pastel, thoughts, tree

Wonky Santa…Day 3 in the 12 Days of Christmas Sketches

Mary Liz Ingram — December 13, 2012 — 1 Comment

One-armed bendy Santa, charcoal and conte sketch

On the third day of Christmas sketches…

We all like something weird, some little trinket that strings along memories that other eyes can’t see. It holds sentimental value like a treasure, though it may be locked away in the trivial shell of an old toy.

Each year as I pull out decorations, there are a few pieces that stand out more than others; a few that I dig around for, searching through attic-musty tissue papers in the Christmas box. My one-armed bendy Santa is one of those oddly precious objects.

He has a wonky, yellowed beard, mismatched painted eyes, and an excellent wooden cone hat. He’s one of those toys where you push the round base from below and it makes the figure slump, then you release it and he pops back up. He’s old and you can tell…he was part of my paternal grandmother’s collection, and he has been around my whole life.

Now, this is the grandmother who was an artist. She taught me the basics of art and let my cousins, sister and I have regular, free-for-all craft time at her house. She was quirky, inventive, interesting and fabulous. And she collected EVERTHING: rocks, bells, books, flowers, these little toys…you name it. She had a room in which the walls were completely covered in framed family photos (aka “the picture room”). I apparently get the urge to collect and create from her, along with a lot of other quirks that my sister likes to point out. Ha!

Anyway, this little cockeyed, one-armed bendy Santa makes me think of her, my delightfully eccentric grandmother, and it warms my heart each Christmas.

3 French Hens

In Art Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, charcoal, Christmas, grandmother, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastel, pastels, santa, soft pastel, story, thoughts

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

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

In Art Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, birthday, Christmas, donuts, drawing, Ingram, life, Liz, Mary, sketch, soft pastel

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

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

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

In Art Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, Christmas, drawing, Ingram, Liz, Mary, sketch, soft pastel

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…

In Art, pastel, portrait, Sennelier, tutorial Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, dog, Ingram, Liz, Mary, pastels, pet, portrait, Sennelier, soft pastel, tutorial

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 Alabama, Art, artist, Birmingham, Ingram, Liz, love, Mary, Paris, pastels, Picasso, Sennelier, soft pastel

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:

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

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