January 31 Collage of Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge

What a fun journey!  Many thanks to Kelly for taking the time each day to initiate and manage this challenge for the past month.  Many thanks also to all of the artists and budding artists who gave nothing but support and encouragement along the way to those of us who are not yet as proficient. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that every artist was once an amateur... yet at no time did anyone ever point that out.

Day 29 & 30 Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge - Self Portrait

Today's assignment is to take a black and white selfie and then draw it.  Whoa!  I was afraid of that!  I don't like photos of me.  I'm usually the one behind the camera.  But I did it...

Tools used were mostly shaper tools and bamboo skewer.

So, I can't say I would recognize that person walking down the street, but as I stated with Al's portrait... at least you can see that it's a human form.  And... it's not a stick figure, nor did I resort to Kilroy this whole challenge :)

To add to my glee, my husband asked me if I could copy this for him.  What a sweetie.   Maybe cupid will do something with it for Valentine's day.  In the kiln now... I'll post when fired.

Fired Self portrait:

Hmmm...I look like I'm sucking on a lemon or something, lol!  I was hoping that I made the lips light enough that I could fix them after firing but, oh well.  I'm still very proud of what was produced during this challenge.  My head is so full of ideas of how to incorporate this new skill into my glass work that I can't stop smiling (even though it doesn't show in the portrait).

Day 27 & 28 Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge - Albert

Days 27 & 28 are to draw Albert Einstein... upside down...  huh? (scooby doo voice).  Ok, well here goes nothing!  Here's my first attmempt

 So, when I look at him right side up, he looks surprised...

2nd attempt:

I don't know, Al.  This may be the best I've got :)  The more I putz with this the more distorted it gets.  I comfort myself with the fact that at least this drawing is recognizable as any generic old man.  27 days ago I was drawing stick figures. 

Day 26 Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge Upside down Tree

Today's assignment is to draw a tree upside down (the tree is upside down, not me), using non-dominant hand. hmmmm.... I thought I would put a spooky looking tree on this blue adventurine spirit glass and make it look like a night sky. 

Interestingly, doing this upside down made it much easier to draw the parts of the tree that gave me problems, like the small branches.  As I got down to the large branches and trunk I pinched the powder.

Day 25 Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge

Another day of south paw drawing, but we get our tools back, yayy!!!

I felt like I had better control today than I did yesterday but still having difficulty with fine details.  I do love the way this glass looks like snow at night.  I think I will clean this up later and fire it.  Will post fired piece.

Day 24 Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge _ Release the Chains

Today's assignment is to draw a tree using only a business card as tool but must be done with non-dominant hand.  I was feeling comfortable occasionally using my left hand for certain angles but a whole tree was a bit more challenging.

So this doesn't look much worse than the way I started on day 1 using my right hand, so I'm not too discouraged.  I will continue to work out my left hand and I suspect that these drawings will improve as muscles get in condition.

Day 23 Powder Sgrafitto Drawing Challenge - Collection

Today's assignment was to take a picture of something I collect and draw it.  Uhhh...draw my glass supplies?? Wait, what lol!  I've not really collected anything except glass, glass supplies, glass fusing books, stained glass books, drills, molds,torches, gases, or anything but glass for a very long time.  I do have a decent collection of Nativities but they're already put away until next Christmas season.

But then I saw my collection of leis that my grandmother and Anty Honey made.  Oh snap!  I snapped that picture :)

My treasure is one of the seashell leis that Grandma made even after diabetes took her eyesight.  It's one of the few things that I have of her besides a well worn letter.

The kukui nut and koa seed leis were made by Anty Honey.  Anty was always looking for seeds, beans, whatever to make into a beautiful lei.  I once remember walking downtown Honolulu and Honey Girl spotted some gray seeds.  Most people walked by and stepped on them.  WE picked them up!  I wish I could remember what the name of the tree was...  Honey Girl could make beauty out of anything!

So here is my rendition of my calabash bowl with collection of leis.

2 rubber shaper tools were used for this.  The seashells and kukui nuts were pretty straight forward.  I used negative space to give the effect of the koa seeds, since they are so tiny and so many that I would be in over my head to try.  But I like what is here.  Part of me wants to darken the left side of the bowl, but that's not how I'm seeing it now with the light reflecting on it.  I think I'll fire it as is and then see if it needs anything.  Will post when out of the kiln.  Aloha!