Mini Picasso

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: Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life... Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up... Action is the foundational key to all success... Computers are useless. They can only give you answers... Art is a lie that makes us realize truth... I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it... I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them... Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time... The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web... Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working... One must act in painting as in life, directly... Everything is a miracle. It is a miracle that one does not dissolve in one's bath like a lump of sugar... The hidden harmony is better than the obvious... The older you get the stronger the wind gets - and it's always in your face... Painting is just another way of keeping a diary... The people who make art their business are mostly imposters...

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pablo_picasso.html#6UM5u8RiYAQ5Rd4c.99

Eclectic Cool was a Success!

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). We all have very different styles, from thoughtful and careful collage, to intricate and meaningful acrylic "drawings," to abstract acrylics, realistic and reflective oils, jewelry, pastels...you get the idea. We dubbed our interesting mix "eclectic." For this show, we chose to link our styles with cool, calming colors. The show was upstairs at Parkside Bar in Avondale and it was amazing. We had a packed house from 4:30-9:00 and had a blast together, selling and enjoying art and community! Here are some images as our show began...

The crew: (left to right) Dariana Dervis, Mary Liz Ingram, Erin Hardin, Cecily Hill Lowe, Chi Roach

Cecily's large installation

Guests enjoying Chi's art

Dariana and Chi happy to open the show

Dariana's collage and jewelry, always soothing

Erin's beautiful oil paintings

Mary Liz's pastels, apologies for the bad lighting!

Eclectic Cool: The Colors of Calm

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.