The end of the Glass Powder Sgraffito 30-30 Challenge

This challenge has been so good for me. I learned so many things about drawing into glass powder. 30 days of total focus has been a real achievement for me. I made a collage of my favorite paintings some that are getting color and worked into finished pieces. I feel my January was very productive. I now need to think where I want to go from here. I know even though I have other work that needs to be done, I will be drawing.  The first photo are my favorite. Kelly wanted us to share our progress so I did another collage with 25 images of my work.

Day 29 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today was our day to draw ourselves. I choose a strange angle to attempt. Then I made it a stark b&w didn't do too well with it. This is from a selfie, may try again tomorrow. We have two days to do this.

Day 28 in the 30-30 Glass Powder Sgraffito  Challenge.

So today I worked on Albert some more. I thought I was done last night but after seeing all the Albert paintings on the group blog. I realized I needed to fix his ear and hair on the right. I think I still have too much powder on the right of his face. May fire weird but he is done. 

Day 27 in the 30-30 challenge

We are to draw upside down and draw Albert  Einstein. We have 2 days to complete this. I first did a stark black and white. Not sure that was the way to go. I felt I need to get some perspective. I continued to move the powder and add shading.  I found I was two heavy with the first stark drawing and had to remove powder it did how ever give me areas of powder to work with. I got to laughing and thinking how scary this guy is (in my drawing) that I stopped for today.

Tomorrow I am going to try and have fresh eyes and clean this up to look more like poor Albert.

Day 26 in the 30-30 Challenge.

Today we were to draw upside down, using our left hand on the left and the right on the right. Draw a tree with the trunk at top of the glass and pull your branches toward you. I don't think I followed the instructions right. I did not want to do just a tree so I did two trees one on the right and one on the left. I used the appropriate hand for each. The right had more branches so I think my left did not get enough working time. When it came to the foreground and background of the scene, I turned the image upright and the left hand had more of the work to do. I am finding I can do okay with my left if I slow it down. I then added color to my piece so that it can maybe be done in one firing. I got the inspiration from Wendy so I will see how I did. I have always fired the black first then added the color.


Here is the picture with color added I also corrected the drawing by adding a branch for the back tree. We are almost to the end of the 30-30 challenge. I want to learn as much as I can with each of my drawings.

  

Day 25 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today we continue with our non-dominate hand. That is my left hand, we could use our fingers, business card and other tools. I used my left hand to apply powder with my fingers. I seem to be okay with that.  I used a business card and a flat rubber shaper.  I did not want to attempt controlling more tools. I applied the bird very lightly so that as I fumbled through moving the powder it may be more forgiving. I applied the powder light to heavier in the shape of the bird. It took lots of concentration to know which lines to make. I am happy with it over all.

Day  24 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today we were to use our non-dominate hand and a business card. I felt crippled at first then I turned my drawing upside down when I worked. I seemed to see what I was doing better when I was laying in the branches. I had to remove some powder because my darn right hand just kept trying to take over. I can pinch powder fine with the left but drawing with control is another story. Over all not too bad. I added the birds to see if I could get more control. I think if I used my left it would begin to have more control.

Day 23 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today our assignment was to draw something I collect. I don't intentionally collect anything. That said we all seem to collect something. I have a collection of old small creamers. I picked the one my kids always liked best. We have enjoyed them. I would put gravy in them when they were young, okay we still use them. Well I have grand kids now. 

Day 22 in the 30-30 Challenge

Day 22 was one of the hardest challenges yet. Draw a safety pin. We were to really look at the safety pin and draw what we saw. I found lots to look at and lots of detail that was needed. I photographed it when it without the shadow and with the shadow. I figured if I really messed it up with the shadow I would at least have a photo. I also uploaded the photo we worked off of.

Day 21 in 30-30 Challenge

Day 21 challenge is to draw a floral bouquet. I worked on the pitcher first then added the flowers. It was a challenge to add the flowers where I had already added the back ground. I have to say my fingers were very useful in this drawing. Thank you, Kelly for making us use them.

I will do a little more work on this one before I fire it. When I photographed it I found some flowers that are not working for me. Over all I think it is okay. I was three days behind so I more on to the next challenge so I could catch up. 

Day 20 in the 30-30 challenge.

Draw a black and white flower, I added to my day 19 drawing by adding more flowers, stems and leaves. Learning to work on composition. I find the if I draw to the right I can control more than when I make a design go to the left. Maybe when I work I should start on the left and work right. Don't understand why but I enjoy the leaves the first day and I struggled with them today. I have started to just put powder where I want it then push it around to get what I want.

Day 19 in 30-30 Challenge

The challenge is to draw floral picture. I live in the mountains so thinking of flowers in the winter is nice. I have always loved poppies because they are so lovely in the sun. We were to do a black and white drawing. I work with various photos (not mine) of poppies trying to get a feel for what I like so much about them. I wanted to work on composition so my plan is to draw one today and then add to the drawing tomorrow for my second floral drawing. I am  behind one day but I got the first one done. I tried to use shading and to show how delicate they are. The leaves I just had fun with them playing with all the fun shapes.I started out with very little powder then added to create the shading. The leaves were made by adding very little powder then moved around to create the shape leaving a verity of shading. I like it can't wait to see how it will fire.

Day 16-18 in the 30-30 Challenge

The challenge whites, draw something that is white. The very first thing I thought of was snow. Do a snow scene but then I thought go somewhere else. Like the ocean, so I drew a beach chair. That was a fun place to go. Drawing into black powder to create a white image is very challenging. I kept putting less and less powder on the glass.

The beach scene made me think of white birds, then I thought of a snow owl. It is hard to draw white and then have shading that is soft and not hard. I had a hard time with this and had to soften the shaded places with my finger. I can tell what it is but I think it can be improved. 

 When I think of white I think of boats. I love photographing boats. I had a photo of a boat from Sandpoint, ID when I visited last summer. I loved the sailboats on the water. So, this is my version of what I saw. The sails runs off the page because I wanted to try and apply all the powder at once. Somethings work some don't, but over all it was fun.

Day 15 in the 30-30 Challenge

I had a very busy day in the studio on Day 15. I had intended to do my drawing late afternoon before I called it a day. I was so involved in what I was working on that time slipped away from me. So today I did my catch up drawing. The assignment was to draw something that you ate that day in 15 mins. I just played with some of the lines and textures of the oranges. Drawing in black and white is different than when you add color to define things.

The weekend assignment is to draw three drawings of something white. I plan to draw all three the same day. So I will post 16-18 drawings when I have them done.

Day 14 in the 30-30 Challenge 

Today's challenge was to draw something that frightens us. I enjoyed today much more as it was a subject that I would draw. I have respect and fear for the grizzly. I love to see them but only at a distance. I have twice be within 50 yards of a black bear so I do not have great fear of them. Now, I would not want to be 50 yards from a grizzly. 
  I drew earlier in the day, I am more of a morning person, of course right after my coffee. I layer the powder differently this time and found more success. I did a light layer of black then added in the darker values. I also added in the back ground to see if I can do all of this in one firing. It is in the kiln but will have to wait for more pieces for me to fire it. I have some earlier drawings I could add powder to also. Today I have other work to do, hopefully tomorrow.

Day 13 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today our challenge was to draw a shark with it's mouth open to study value. I started with a heavy layer of powder around the glass and then went to lighter in the center. Didn't work so good I ended up with too much powder in the center. I think I should have done a light layer then added the darker value where I needed it. I continued to fight the powder lay up because I was not excited about this assignment. A shark is not something I enjoy drawing...... Somehow I managed to not draw mine tilted like the picture. Just glad I am done with it.

Day 12 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today assignment was to draw something you use everyday. The first thing I use everyday is my favorite coffee cup. 

Day 11 in the 30-30  Challenge

Vegetable Day, I wanted a vegetable with lots going on so I sketched Broccoli. I like all the swirly lines and the details. I took a broken piece where I could see more definition and attempted that. It was harder than I thought but fun to explore. I am still working on a small piece of glass. I planned on firing it I would have a kiln full today. I may add color later to just learn more. I didn't do any shadows or shading. I was drawing in front of a window and the natural light didn't really make shadows. I wanted to show the smooth parts and then the textures.

Day 10 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today was fruit day again, we were to have our fruit doing something. I worked on shading and shadows yesterday. I also added color. So, today I wanted to continue my study of shading and shadows. I added color again because I want see how the shading does under color.

“When Bosc saw Bartlet in the shadows it was love at first sight.”

Day 9 in the 30-30 Challenge

Today we were to draw a still life of a fruit. I had a pear on hand so I drew a pear. I added color to my drawing to play with the light more. I wish I had photographed it before I added color. I see I lost the definition of the pear at it's base where the shadow began. I think doing a firing then adding color in a second firing would work better. I could move the over flow powder from where it didn't belong. I set the pear off to the left of a light to be able to see where the light hit better. I had drawn a pear from memory and added shading in an earlier drawing. It is interesting how different the two looked so I took a photo of the two side by side. (tools today was my finger, a screw driver and a business card.)

Day 8 in the 30-30 challenge

 I got to add another new tool today. Yesterday I added a small screw driver. Today I wanted something to add texture to a dock that I wanted to try. My tool of choice today was a sponge. I was hoping to make a texture similar to worn wood. It did a good job for making the texture I was looking for unfortunately I was working small again. So in the long run I did not use it for what I thought I would. I did use the sponge to help soften lines and to gently remove powder. I am going to try working on a larger piece of glass tomorrow. I had a busy day today so I did my drawing knowing that if I could get more time I would make needed adjustments to try and achieve my goals. I find when I look at my photos I see right away what is jumping out at me as not working. I still see things I should try to change but I think I will try to do this again laying the powder to draw in different.

Here is my Day 8 painting.

Day 7 in the 30-30 Challenge

Tool Day!!!!!
We got a tool today to use along with our fingers and business cards. Made my day, but not a drawing tool. It had to be something that we found in our junk drawer. I still was happy at least I didn't have to rely on a card that can bend or fingers  that are too big. 
 When I woke up this morning it was foggy out so it made me think of a lighthouse. My picture is not foggy but I didn't want to mud it up.
  

My tool of choice was a small screw driver. I wanted a stiff straight edge.

Day 6, Continue doing 5 drawings in 5 minutes each. 

 Today I worked at drawing doorways. I seemed to have just made a mess of things. That is okay I give myself permission to make a mess of things in order to learn and grow. 
  
I was looking at the light coming through doorways. The first one is just a slice of light.

The second one is more open, letting in more light.

The third is more light with a stairway.

The fourth is a doorway with detail on the building.

My fifth is my attempt at barn doors. The timer went off so this is as far as I got. Then I continue my exploring by finishing it some more, here are the two photos.

I can see my mistakes what works well and what doesn't that is where the learning comes in. So even though I feel I made a mess of things the good news is I am learning.

Day 5 

Today was 5 drawing with only 5 minutes for each. I focused on fencing today.

This is my gate.

This one is a fence in my yard, Timer went 

off before I was done. I only got to start the tree.

Yet another fence this one made up.

Got tired of fences and thought I would try an object.

So I tried to do a clothes pin. Timer went off so I thought okay. this is the photo of my 5 min. then I wanted to put a little more time into it to see if I could make it better. This is as good as I could get it.  I dumped all my drawing today back in to the powder jar.

Here is the photo of Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 fired.

Below is Day 4
And some drawings I did playing around.