Day 29: Nearing a Beautiful End

The End of our Fused Glass Sgraffito Challenge is near...

You have all developed into courageous sgraffito-ers, and I am so proud of your progress!

Beginning a challenge like this is difficult even for trained artists, and many of you have told me that your art and drawing experience is very limited.  See what you're capable of???  

YOU HAVE DONE WELL!

Today and tomorrow your challenge is to take a black and white "selfie" and create a glass powder self-portrait from it.  This is a huge challenge for all of us.  I personally have never attempted a self-portrait.  It's very uncomfortable for me to study myself in that way... 

to have a visual record of the way I view "me" is almost too much.  

Maybe that's why I have never tried.  This challenge is on the threshold of what I think I am capable of, both artistically and emotionally.  I think it feels like this for most artists.  

It's a real introspective.

  

It's comforting to know, that should I decide to dump my drawing later  

I'll still have a beautiful, perfect sheet of white glass.  Nothing to lose, right?

 After all, another drawing is jealously waiting to create itself there. 

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I want to tell you about the artist in the photo above, some of you may already be familiar with her.  Frida Kahlo once said,

" I paint myself because I am so often alone, and because I am the subject I know best."  

Aren't we all the subject we know best, but afraid to say it in a permanent way? 

 Maybe we don't want to see ourselves as we really are... read on...

Frida Kahlo was born outside Mexico City in 1907.  She contracted polio as a child, which left one leg slightly disfigured.  

At 18 she was involved in a very serious accident while the bus she was riding on had a collision with a street car.  She suffered a broken spine, ribs, collarbone, pelvis, and a dislocated shoulder.  

As if that were not enough, She also endured eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and an iron handrail pierced her abdomen which would leave her childless...


She spent three months in a full body cast recovering from her injuries, but still she painted.

Frida Kahlo wore long skirts most of her life, perhaps to cover her inability to look like she thought she should.

Although she lived most of her life in horrible pain, bedridden for months at a time, she painted anyway.

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Nobody taught her to paint, she did it anyway.
The curious will always be curious.
The painters will always paint.

Keep working.  You are your own best teacher and 'talent' has so very little to do with anything...

By the way, I haven't even taken my 'selfie' yet and I won't be able to start this challenge until night time...

Add your progress here

Day 24: Weekend Challenge- Releasing the Chains!

This Weekend... 

We'll be releasing the chains on your Non-Dominant Hand. 

Hurray! Non-dominant hands out there, Run and Be Free!

Most of us have heard the myth that people are either right-brained or left-brained. 

Creative people on the right, Analytic people on the left.

In fact, because we've heard this for so long, many 'left-brain types' feel that they have no hope of being creative, 'right-brain types' may believe they can't become good at math. 

 'It's the way we're wired'

Don't believe it.

We are all 'whole-brained'.  And while each of us have right and left brain strengths and weaknesses, we learn by using both sides of the brain simultaneously.

It is true, however, that each side of the brain is responsible for 

certain motor skills on the opposite side of the body. 

I recently read a new research study about how amputees compensate after losing their dominant hand.  They did exercises to train the non-dominant hand, while measuring brain activity through MRI... They concluded that the non-dominant hand can be trained to work as accurately as the dominant, and that the process of learning to use it actually improved brain function in both brain hemispheres...

Guess what that means?

YOU can train your whole brain to improve the way it functions and learns 

by strengthening the things that are currently non-dominant.

The brain understands and remembers best when the knowledge and skills are acquired through experiential learning, which is why we're doing this:

Day 24:  Go back to the beginning, and create a fused glass sgraffito sketch of a tree using only the business card and non-dominant hand. Ok, you can use both sides of your brain too as long as you use them both at the same time.  ha.

An InLinkz Link-up

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I haven't done my daily sketch for today yet... I'm behind.  If you are too, make sure you get your collection drawing for today done at some point, because I love seeing the collections!

Read The Article (this is the simple one)

Journal of Neuroscience (this is the nerdy one.  I like it)

More very interesting right-left brain stuff and proof that what I say is true

Even more proof and cool brain stuff

DAY 23: An Argument in the BE-lack Forest

Feeling those stretch marks on your brains today?  Me too!  Yesterday's challenge was kind of painful, no?  Well, we do have a lot of work left to do before the end of the challenge.  You've almost made it through, don't quit now!

The one week countdown is approaching fast.

There was an argument today in the Forest of Bullseye Blacks.

Turns out that 'Stiff Black' has been running amuck through the forest and has been causing frustrations for some of our participants.

When the spirit of 'Regular Black' heard about this, he confronted 'Stiff Black' and said,  'Why have you been so uncooperative with these new sgraffito artists who are trying SO hard to complete this challenge without frying their brains completely? 

'Stiff Black' just flopped there looking clumpy and pathetic.  He had no answer.


Regular Black pointed sharply at Stiff Black and shouted.

"I command you Stiff Black, to force yourself into the graceful lines of a sgraffito tree, or at least grow some antlers like ME!"


Stiff Black, who could not point sharply, stood up and said, 

"I have become a tree made of rumply, crumply, Elephant Bark!" 

 "Allow me to stay and frustrate those Challengers just one week longer!"

Regular Black didn't think that rumply, crumply Elephant Bark was going to be helpful to anyone trying to learn glass sgraffito drawing.

So, Regular Black put on his "A@$ Whooping" face, and quickly drew this pointy weapon with a business card.  

He stretched his wings and antlers, and flexed his tiny muscle. 

 "YOU, Stiff Black, shall return to your jar, and be hidden amongst the furthest reaches of the frit shelf FOREVER!!!".... or, at least until January 31, 2015.

Stiff Black shrunk down, grew a ratty tail, and retreated shamefully back to his jar, where he shall stay until the day when we need to use him for silkscreening or something... THE END.

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Because you all did so well pushing through that awful safety pin challenge you'll get some freedom in today's challenge.

 (AND, since I know that not all of you actually DID the safety pin challenge... you'd better get busy, or Regular Black will find you where you're hiding and you can explain it to him )

The Challenge for DAY 23:

Take a photo of something you collect, and create a glass powder sgraffito drawing of it.  And then link it to the page with the 'add your link' button down there.

I'm interested in knowing what those collected things are in your collections.

If you collect dust bunnies... drawing them would not be challenging yourself much.  lol

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 20, More Sgraffito Flowers!

Day 20: Sketching Glass Sgraffito Flowers...

You know, I didn't really think about all of us sketching flowers using black frit.  They are looking pretty darn black, aren't they? 

                                                                                                       

You all did some very nice work!  I love how many different kinds of flowers we all chose.  

So many artists use flowers in their work, and I've never known anyone to say they hate flowers and mean it...  They are a subject I always turn to when I'm missing summer.

I will keep things short today, because it's almost not today anymore :)

Here is a little blast of color to break up all this black and white!

Tomorrow, for Day 21 of the 30 in 30 Challenge 

We have another exciting day floral drawings! 

 This time, we're going to use ONLY black frit, and aim to get a wide range of values in your sketch.  Experiment with ways of applying the glass powder so that you can achieve areas that are very dark, very light, and 'some things in between'.  Here's a hint: The distance you hold your sifter, fingers, etc. from your glass makes a difference.  For lighter areas, try holding your hand higher, darker areas, work closer to the base glass.

"Poppy Fields and Blue Skies"  Alcohol ink painting, Kelly Crosser Alge

Post Your Black Flowers For Day 21 Here!

Link-up opens at 12:05 am EDT

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 14: Red Skies At Night, Shark's (I mean Sailor's) Delight?

It's Day 14, we're almost half-way through the Fused Glass Sgraffito 30 in 30 Challenge!!

"Red Skies at Night"  
Click to Bid in my Daily Paintworks Auction, $20

I love all of the 'sharky' photos and stories everyone has posted from our Day 13 Challenge!  Staring at all of those teeth will probably give some of us nightmares tonight... 

 It was a good challenge, because even without the teeth it presented us with something that appeared to be extremely difficult to draw.  Add in the extra challenge of using glass dust to draw it with, and we have a winner!

How many of you skipped out on trying this frightening shark because you didn't think you could draw it?  Luckily, he'll still be right here waiting for you until you give him a try.

The challenge for today, January 14 is to create a sketch of something that frightens you.  Make it fun! 

 Also, if I frighten you, you're welcome to use my old Halloween self-portrait as a reference photo to work from. It's pretty scary. I think we're going to have a good time tomorrow!

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 12: Artichokes and Real Life

Yesterday's challenge was to do a study sketch of a vegetable, thinking about it's texture.  I chose an artichoke for my subject partly because I have a lovely sheet of Bullseye's Artichoke glass, and partly because I like the intricate detail and texture of artichokes. Plus, they are healthy and yummy.... Besides that, when it comes to a challenge why not pick something totally ridiculous?  Today I haven't been able to spend the time to really study the artichoke as much as I would have liked to. Real life is happening in my house, and I'm predicting another school cancellation tomorrow...

I know that many of you have been strapped for time during this challenge.  It's OK!  I bet real life is happening in your houses too.   If you skip a day or many, or if you're just following along right now... you're not alone!  If you have just joined in, it's not too late...remember that this challenge is all about learning and camaraderie.  Any effort you make is worth it, even if you aren't proud of what you produce on a particular day.  We're all in this together...

I've done a lot less glass work this month than what I had planned to do; and instead I've developed a new relationship with my computer that I didn't plan.  I am blessed to have learned a lot just trying to keep up, and the time I've spent away from my own glass work has been worth it.  Seeing your work and to getting to know you a little bit has been more than I'd planned, and way more than I'd hoped for.
Onward we go....

   Tomorrow's challenge, for Day 12:  Create a glass powder sketch of something you use every day.  We often overlook the things we see and use each day, but they make really interesting subjects for art work.  It can be simple or complex, but make it personal.  I love getting to know you by the things you create.

My computer is being silly, so the link to post your photos won't open until tomorrow at 12:05 am.  Keep watch :)  Technical difficulties will always abscond with the best laid plans, won't they??

 My alcohol ink painting for Day 12 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 11: Seeing Beyond What You See...

'Pomegranate People' Glass powder sketch  4"x 4"

I'm really loving the artwork coming out of this group.  Yesterday's challenge was to create a sketch of a piece of fruit in some kind of a setting, or 'doing something'.  Let's just say we had some laughs and some of our minds have been in well... the compost heap.  Ha ha!

I chose to sketch a pomegranate yesterday, partly because I had one sitting on the counter, and partly because I love the intricate patterns of their perfectly packed pulpy seeds.  They're delicious!  Today's challenge was to use the same fruit and make it 'more'. That meant I really had to think about pomegranates.  The first time I had one was in 8th grade Latin class.  I thought they were weird, but the story about them was pretty cool.

Ancient Greeks believed the pomegranate to be the 'fruit of the dead'.

 Here's the story in a nutshell:  

Hades, the god of the underworld wanted to have Persephone for his wife.  So he kidnapped her and took her to rule with him in the underworld for eternity.  Demeter, Persephone's mother, was the goddess of the harvest.  She mourned in anguish at the kidnapping of her daughter, and refused to produce a harvest or allow any living plant to grow.  The big man, Zeus, decided that it would not be ok for the earth to die off just because Demeter missed her daughter.  So he ordered Hades to give her back to her mother...  There was a rule that if anyone should eat or drink while in the underworld, their fate would be sealed and they would remain in the underworld for eternity.  

Hades didn't want to return Persephone, and although she didn't eat or drink in the underworld,  Hades tricked her into eating a bit of a pomegranate before returning her to her mother.  Because of this, she was forced to spend half of the year in the underworld with Hades, and she was only allowed to be with her mother for the other half, and so on, for the rest of eternity.  The Greeks used this myth as an explanation for the change of seasons.  

My sketch today reflects on this story, each seed bitten sealed the doom of a soul.

Morbid, isn't it?  Sorry.  I can't turn off my brain.  I wish I could...

OK

For Day 11, your challenge is to sketch a vegetable.  Pay very careful attention to its texture.  Is it smooth? Bumpy?  Figure out a way to tell us as much about how that vegetable looks and feels as you can through your glass sgraffito sketch.  'See beyond what you see'!  With your new arsenal of tools, you may have just the thing you need to show off the texture, maybe not.  You might have to dig a little deeper to find just the right thing.  

This is getting more fun for me each day. :)

'Sunrise Ridge', alcohol ink painting for Day 11 of  the 30 in 30 Painting Challenge

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 10: Double Digits and 'Winging it"

It's Day 10 already.  That means there are only 20 more days of this challenge... A third of the way to the end!

Today I asked everyone to do a sketch of a piece of fruit.  I worked really hard on some strawberries and threw them in the kiln.  I did my shipping, some laundry, etc.  I thought I had gotten ahead a little.  The kids and my teacher hubby were all home today because school was cancelled again, and I took a much needed nap.  WELL, during my 15 minute nap the power went out and then came back on.  We all know what happens mid-firing when the kiln loses power.  Especially when you don't discover that the power went out until hours later.  grrr. 
That flashing 12:00 taunting me on the microwave... I don't think my strawberries are going to make it.  You might be surprised to know that I really don't care all that much.

When I make art, I get what I need to make my heart happy from the process of making it.

Don't get me wrong, when I open the kiln and find things just as I'd hoped they'd be it's a great feeling; but the product is not why I make art.  I make art because I have to.  It's part of who I am.  I can't be 'me' without making art, for better or worse.
(also, I can't pay the bills without making art, but that's not the point here)

We can plan all we want, but it's freeing to just 'wing it' once in awhile. Life is full of opportunities to wing it.  Today I 'winged it' with these pomegranates.  I like them.  The challenge for me now will be to figure out a great color mix to make a good pomegranate color.  Had my original plan worked out I wouldn't be looking for that perfect color mix now, and I'd be stuck with boring strawberries.  I'm excited for the challenge of figuring out the perfect powder mix to make 'pomegranate' now!

Life happens, and art happens.  Embrace both, and don't get upset if you've fallen behind in the challenge!  You can drop in and out as we go.  The important thing is that you keep trying!

Tomorrow's challenge, for Day 10 is to do a sketch of your fruit in some kind of setting, or doing something fun.  You can 'wing it' when it comes to interpreting the challenge... I'm excited to see what you come up with.

Here is my last minute glass sgraffito pomegranate for today,  and an alcohol ink painting for my other 30 in 30 Painting Challenge.  I used my business card, sifter, and the eyelash tool for the glass sketch.

Add Your Link
Don't forget, submissions begin at 12:05 am, EDT.  If you don't see the open link, it's not quite time :)

Day 9: Apples and Ideas

Your tool arsenals are looking mighty fine!  There are some truly awesome tools being made!  I hope you're all feeling challenged, out of your comfort zones, and maybe just a little frustrated.  It takes some time to get your brain 'thinking backwards', and of course, exercise hurts a little.  If you're frustrated, keep pushing yourself!  It will be worth it, you'll see.

The first day of the challenge, I shared that I did not want to paint apples when I was first learning to paint.  I thought they were too boring.  Good thing that for today's challenge, you can be as boring or as exciting as you'd like to be!  

Your challenge for Day 9:  Choose any fruit.  Using your homemade tools, business card, sifter, and /or fingers, create a sketch of a piece of fruit. No paintbrushes.... no paintbrushes....no

Wonky Wobbly Street 4x6

It helps to have the real thing to look at, and it's a great challenge to translate a 3-D object onto a 2-D surface.  If you don't have a piece of fruit, you can resort to using a photo. (but you won't learn as much and that's taking the 'safe route')  You probably should get yourself some fruit, because Hey! t's part of a healthy diet.

Tropicana Punch

Here are two sketches: one fruit, and a wonky wobbly city street, along with my alcohol ink entry for Day 9 of my other painting challenge.  I made the pear awhile ago, but I did use only the business card to make it.  No sifter!

Add Your Link

Day 8: What's in Your Junk Drawer?

Day 8: Show me the tools! 

What did you come up with?  The Challenge for Day 8 is to continue looking for ways to make tools, and do a glass powder sgraffito sketch of your choosing.  You can take as much time as you like today, and you may use any handmade or found object as tool, in addition to your business card, sifter, and fingers.  NO PAINTBRUSHES!!!  Nope. no.... just don't do it...

This is one of my favorite tools, made from a paint stir stick, red duct tape, and plastic doll eyelashes. No dolls were harmed in the making of this tool... or were they????  ha ha 

Many of you have asked about reference photos to use for these drawing days. Here is a fabulous website you'll want to check out:       www.paintmyphoto.ning

This is a website for artists who are looking for reference photos that are free to use without copyright infringement.  Kind photographers post their photos there for the sole purpose of allowing other artists to use them as reference photos to create artwork!  Sharing is nice! Here is my glass sketch, as well as my alcohol ink painting for Day 8 of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Painting Challenge.  Whew!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy New Year Everyone!

We've made it to another year!  Happy 2015 to all~

I love the 'freshness' that a new year brings.  I get excited when the hustle of the holidays ends and a bright, shiny new beginning to a whole year of possibilities lies before me...  Here's a little story:

Two years ago (as a New Year's resolution) I accepted a challenge to paint 30 small paintings in 30 days.  The challenge was offered by artist Leslie Saeta, and I was pressured by my painter friends to give it a try.  Here is a little background info... I did not care about oil painting.   In college I painted what I would describe as a 'whopping total of two complete failures' using oil paints, and I never wanted to use them again.  As an art major,  I thought I should automatically be good at painting, but I'm telling you that I mean it when I say 'complete failure'.  Fast forward an undisclosed number of years...  I gave in and decided to give it my best shot, even though I knew I would hate it.

The first week was torture.  I,  (being me, of course) chose the most difficult things I could think of to paint.  A yellow fire hydrant on a violet background.  lights and buildings reflecting on wet pavement.   bicycles. backhoes and orange barrels buried under piles of snow.  Those things interested me.  Painting apples did not. Strike one. (apples are easy) Trying to paint the subjects I wanted to paint with this peanut buttery disaster of a medium made me mad.  Strike two. (I got mad).  After the first 4 paintings...Strike three. (I quit).  I was so frustrated!

A few days later I 'un-quit'.  I was determined to finish my 30 paintings even if every one of them sucked, because I wanted to be a better painter.  In all, it took me 45 days to finish my 30 paintings. The timing doesn't matter.  What does matter is this:  The things I learned in that short time by experimenting on my own and forcing myself to practice amounted to so much more than I ever expected; and the speed at which I improved could not be matched by taking a painting class.

This year, I've invited glass friends to join me in a similar challenge.  We'll be working to complete 30 fused glass powder sgraffito sketches in 30 days.  Many do not have experience using glass powders, but have accepted the challenge feet-first.  I know they will improve by leaps and bounds over the next 30 days!  Surprisingly, there are currently 376 glass fanatics from 9 countries who have accepted the challenge as I write this.  It is going to be so cool to see everyone's work, and if we all complete the challenge, we will have created almost 11,000 works of art in just 30 days!

You can follow our progress each day here on my blog, and check out the artists' web pages and blogs by clicking on the photos they will be uploading each day.  Of course I'm doing the glass challenge, but I am also participating in the painting challenge once again, with alcohol ink paintings (call me crazy and maybe I'll break out the oils).

January 1, 2015 Challenge is to create a sketch using only glass powder and your fingers.  They're your best tools!

Glass Sgraffito Sketch Day One, fingers only!

Sunny Morning Aspens, Alcohol Ink Painting,  5x7
Start bid: $20

Artists: Upload your Day 1 sketches by clicking the 'add your link' button at the bottom left.  Choose a photo from your blog, Facebook, or instagram page, or upload one from your computer.  If you have trouble locating the image URL, try using CTRL+click on the image, then choose 'copy image address'.  This should give you the image URL. If you have problems, check the Facebook page for the Fused Glass Powder Sgraffito Drawing 30 in 30 Challenge.  Happy New Year!

An InLinkz Link-up

Fused Glass Powder Sgraffito Drawing Challenge 2015

Beginning on January 1st, 2015,  I'll be hosting the first ever.... 
Fused Glass Powder Sgraffito Drawing Challenge  to create 30 drawings using powdered glass in 30 days.  Sounds impossible, doesn't it?  Trust me, it's not.

So far, there are over 350 crazy glass artists from 9 different countries participating! It's just for fun, and we'll all be working on improving our skills using glass powders while having a good time. The goal of this challenge is to encourage artists of all skill levels to develop new working habits, share ideas, and improve skills in using glass powders as an art form in the New Year.

Each of us will be creating a small piece of artwork using glass powders every day during the month of January. Photos of our daily work will be displayed on my blog, with links to each artist's personal blogs.  Please check back each day in January to view all of the artwork we'll be making!   

350 Artists X 30 pieces each = a whopping 10,500 pieces of artwork created in just 30 days!  This is going to be so much fun!!!

If you or someone you know would like to join the Challenge, send them to our Facebook group for details in how to participate.  Not on Facebook? email me and I'll send you the info: kelly@modernancientglass.com

And here are the participants so far:  Get to know them by clicking on their photos!

Artists, upload your photo HERE!

Mixing Media…I Can't Help It.

Tree Study in Alcohol Ink

Purchase this painting at auction, starts at $15

My college advisor told me that if my art was ever going to be taken seriously I needed to settle down and pick one medium to work in.  He said 'concentrate on one thing, so that you may master it'.  In many ways he was right.  The problem is that I LIKE to work in so many different media.  While it was very good advice given by someone I respected, I am still at odds when I look back.I think it's important, especially for children to realize that artists don't just sit down and whip out masterpieces.  Even the old masters.  

In sixth grade my school had a program called 'Mini Art'.  A random mom would come in with plastic covered prints of a master's works, and tell us about the artist, their work, and their (normally sad) lives.  In my 11 year old mind I thought my desire to be an artist was out of reach, because I couldn't make a masterpiece at all. My hands were never able to create what my brain imagined, no matter how much time I spent or how hard I tried.The part they left out of the 'Mini Art' program and my art education in general, is that no artist gets anywhere without regular, concentrated practice.  Artists screw up every time they work.  That's how art is.  It's a series of practicing adjustments, and keeping the best ones.  As an adult artist I wish someone had told me this when I was very young.

My piece for the day is a sketch in alcohol ink.  It is an attempt to quickly study and work out the kinks before I have to make decisions about creating it in glass, which is my media of choice on most days.  I work in any media I can get my hands on to figure these things out. My college didn't offer glass in it's program, and my advisor has since passed away.  I wish I could tell him that I found the perfect media to claim as my love, but I need the other ones in order to make it work..

Something Old (sort of), and Something New

"As Luck Would Have It", Kiln-formed glass panel.  Kelly Alge ©2013.

This is my entry for Day 2 of Leslie Saeta's '30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge' … I made this 3 months ago, so it isn't exactly old, but it is definitely not something new I suppose.  To truly be in the spirit of this challenge I should have made it today, but life got in the way and I didn't make anything art related.  (boooooo!)  I'll make up for it in the end.

Anyway, in keeping day 2 of my resolution to learn something new everyday, I can tell you that I've learned several new things today…

I learned how many sorts of sutures surgeons have to learn and what each kind is good for the thing you need to suture.  I read about all the different filaments that are used, which ones are strongest in certain situations, and I learned that some of the self-dissolving ones are made from catgut or beef tendons. Interesting.  The patterns and technical knowledge, along with years of practice develop the suturing skills of the physician until he or she can do them perfectly.  Kind of like art, isn't it?  

Two weeks ago today I had hand surgery to correct a tendon problem.  It's healing nicely, and my sutures were actually pretty interesting to look at. Very precisely done, and surprisingly not like any stitches I'd ever seen.  I was supposed to schedule a followup to have them taken out, but instead I got busy with the holidays and such.  Deciding to try to remove them myself,  I found my tiny scissors and tweezers. When I couldn't figure out where the snips should be,  I resorted to the internet.  How many things do you think go wrong when consulting the internet?  This time things went well and I wasn't "left in a stitch".  

Another important lesson from today… as a new user of a smooth cooktop stove, of course I've been freaking out about ruining it somehow.  After I made dinner I carefully squirted the polish on, then put my teakettle on the back burner to heat.  Wrong burner.  When I turned around I noticed that my polish was boiling and the water was not, so in a dash from the sink I instinctively tried to quickly wipe it off with one of my orange dishtowels.  UMMMM… I won't be buying anything but cotton dishtowels from here on out.  That's all for tonight.

Hello 2014, I've been waiting for you!

Welcome to the New Year 2014!

Last night I asked my kids what their New Year's Resolutions were this year.  Each of them replied,"I don't have any". One said it is impossible for her to be changed for the better, she likes herself as she is.    Another said "Why do we have to make resolutions? They're stupid!" followed by a third "I bet you don't have any, and does Daddy have to make some too?" The last one simply said "I'm not doing that".  Okaaay...

My 9 year old caved first and made her list of the requested 5 things she could do to improve herself in 2014.  Her "Revolutions" for 2014 included improving her school work, practicing basketball, and riding her bike every day in the summer.  My 17 yr old is going to write letters to her favorite singer and do 50 pushups each day.   I'm still waiting on the other two to come up with something before the night ends...

As for myself, there are many things I'd like to change for this next twirl of the world.  I'm definitely not doing pushups or trying to play basketball (I am nearly 6 ft. tall, can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, and I'm still happy:) 

Here are some things I'd like to get better at this time around… and a quote.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
Pablo Picasso

 
I'll make a concentrated effort to learn something new each day, and document it.

I'll look for the positive in every person in every situation, and remove myself from the negative.

I'll trust God over myself.

I'll spend more time listening to others.

I'll waste less time on things that aren't important.

For January 1st,  as silly as it seems,  I tried to make homemade tortilla chips with limited success.  I also learned how to take care of the orchid and bonsai tree I got for Christmas from my husband, and read all about how not to kill the poinsettia I have slowly strangled for the last two weeks.  Fertilizer in hand, I hope Jan. 2nd brings some perk in everyone.  I'm going to participate in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days again this year, but instead of working in oil, I'll be "frit painting" with glass so I don't get behind in my regular art job.  I learned so much from participating in this challenge last year, I'm really happy to be able to do it again.  Best to all of you!  ~Kelly

Fear and Creativity... Shattered Glass and Success

Guess what I learned this week?  

Reverse enamel painting with 

Cappy Thompson!

Working on adding color to the inside of my vessel~ It's challenging to paint on the inside without disturbing what you've already painted!   We used sawed off brushes so the handles were short enough to keep the end from bumping paint that had already dried.  Cappy also taught us how to burn bristle brushes to make them curved like the inside of the vessel.  Pretty stinky but very effective!

 This was a fun week,  after spending 4 straight days at the Toledo Museum of Art's famous Glass Pavilion with master glass artist Cappy Thompson,  I feel artistically 'recharged'.

I've never had the opportunity to learn from a glass master before, so I was thrilled to hear that she was coming from Seattle to Toledo to teach.  Most of what I know about working with glass is the result of countless hours of crazy experimenting on my own, lots of reading, and not being afraid to screw up royally.  

Fear is something that burdens everyone.  Fear of the unknown, of being hurt, disappointed, unsuccessful, or misunderstood affects each one of us.  In a classroom setting, the fear of failure is usually lurking heavily in the background.  It tries to steal our confidence and it stifles our creativity...We get a few days to learn something completely new in hopes of leaving with a piece of artwork we can be happy with.  Even more intimidating is to be in a class with experienced people when you know big fat... nothing.

When I have the opportunity to try a new technique, I want to learn and understand EVERYTHING in a ridiculously short amount of time.  My mind races into creative 'what ifs' and swirls with ideas to the point where I can't think at all.  I want to skip over all of the beginning stuff and jump into the sea of major undertakings.  I don't care at all about bringing home something pretty.

 I seem to have lost much of my 'art fear' somewhere along the line, and I feel almost free.  I learn new things,  I don't care if my pieces turn out. (Of course it IS a bonus when they do turn out)  Truly, I only want to see if what I had in mind works, or does not work.  In fact, I could spend days, weeks, or months on a project... once I see it completed, success or failure I am satisfied.  The process is so much more important to me, and I really enjoy being part of the processes of others when I'm in a classroom.  Everyone is in the same boat, but our own fears and lack of experience can make us feel like we're in a canoe instead of an ocean liner.  

I wish more artists could ditch the fear.  Fear should not dominate creativity;  rather, creativity should put fear right back in it's place. FAR away from our studios, our classrooms, and our lives.  Something to think about, isn't it?

Creativity builds our skills and brings passion to use what we learn from our failures to create real successes.... 

I dropped my most successful piece from this class on the kitchen floor as soon as I brought it home, shattering it to pieces.  I was frustrated because I wanted my husband to see how it looked finished.(maybe in attempt to justify what I had been spending all of my time on this week...)  Anyway, it is true.  And I really don't care that it's gone because what I learned by making it cannot be shattered.  Every unsuccessful piece has brought me closer to something I can truly be proud of...

The group was fantastic, lots of very talented ladies here~ 

Want to help make a stranger's day?

"The Phoenix", Oil on Gessobord,   6"x 6"

Participate in this auction in my Daily Paintworks Gallery!

A friend and I went to this cafe for breakfast when I was teaching a glass class out of town.  A man came in while I was there, he was apparently mentally challenged and he looked cold and hungry.   I asked him if he was hungry and he said no but I could tell that he was.  He wanted a small cup of water.  

We secretly bought him a coffee and bagel and left without him knowing.

I think about this man often, wondering if he is cold and hungry a lot.

I want all of the proceeds from the auction sale of my painting to go to this coffee shop in Benton Harbor, Michigan, to start a sort of "kindness fund" in honor of that man. 

 It would be a great way to offer any random person the opportunity to have a free cup of coffee,  be warm, and feel cared about for awhile.  

Please, please share this story, and put in a bid if you're inclined.  You can do so by clicking the link under the photo.  You could get the painting and help a lot of people in the process! 

 It's going to be so great to surprise them...