NEW 30 in 30 Glass Sgraffito Challenge!

ab·stract

adjective

abˈstrakt,ˈabˌstrakt/

1. 

existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.

"abstract concepts such as love or beauty"

Welcome to the 2016 

Fused Glass Sgraffito Drawing 30 in 30 Challenge!

This year's Challenge is a series of 30 SHORT Warm-Up Exercises to get your Fused Glass Glass Sgraffito Drawings off to a good start in the New Year.

  

Each 10-20 minute exercise is designed to help you 'think outside the box', while experimenting with black powdered glass. The best part? We'll all learn from each other while beginning the year with some good creative fun!

Here is how it will work.  Each day I'll give you a word (an Abstract Noun, to be precise) along with it's definition. We all know that a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.  Abstract nouns are intangible, and do not have a physical or concrete existence.  In other words, you can't detect them by using your 5 senses; you cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or physically touch them. 

Your job is to use black powdered glass (or other powdered substance) to create an abstract description of the word.  Break it down to its basic parts and have fun!

Try to avoid using recognizable symbols, letters, or objects.  For example, the word LOVE may remind you of hearts, X's and O's, lips, etc.  Instead of using these symbolic reminders, think about how love FEELS... Is it light and airy? Heavy and dark? It depends on the kind of love you're talking about, right?  Perhaps you view love as something complicated.  How can you describe this concept to someone using only black powders? There are no right or wrong answers to the problem, and I think it will be interesting to see the similarities and differences in our interpretations. 

Things to consider:  How will this word influence the way you decide to apply and remove powder? What kinds of lines, textures, shapes, values, spaces does the word lend itself to? Will they be sharp, smooth, flowing, choppy, long, short, fast, slow, intricate, or simple?  

When you finish your drawing, please post your photo in your album on the Facebook Group page, and also attach it here on the blog post so everyone can see!  **Just as a reminder, when you attach your photo to the blog, you'll need a URL address for the photo.  All you have to do is post it to Facebook first, then click on the search bar and copy/paste the photo's URL into the blue link box here :) It sounds complicated, but after the first try it wil be a piece of cake!