Day 2: Trees with Fingers and Business Cards

It's true.  The beginning is usually the hardest, especially when you're doing something new.  Today is Day 2 of the first ever 'Fused Glass Sgraffito Drawing 30 in 30 Challenge", and I want to say thanks to all of the artists who signed up to participate!   Getting started is difficult.  I've asked you all to jump out of your comfort zones not only in the way you work with glass, but also in respect to all of the 'techie' stuff like setting up a blog and uploading photos.  Trust me, while it is uncomfortable and frustrating now will pay off in the end.

'Trees with Fingers and Business Cards' sounds like a B horror flick doesn't it?  Ha.  I like it.

Today's challenge is to use glass powder to draw a tree or two with only the use of your fingers and a business card.  Everyone wants to break out all of their tools and get down to action already,  but let me explain why I'm challenging you to start this way...

People with nothing are usually the most resourceful.  When you have nothing it forces you to develop ways to do the things you want, without having the 'tool' you'd really like to have to get the job done.  If you need to pound a nail and don't have a hammer, you might find something else that will do the job.  A big rock, perhaps?  A brick?  My point is that if you have the hammer already, you don't have to be very resourceful; you just pound the nail with it and that's the end of it.  When you are forced to be resourceful, your brain makes connections that it wouldn't make if you were just running to your toolbox to get 'the thing that you use to do a thing'.

Tree with Fingers and Business Card.
I added some frit and will post the fired piece tomorrow.

We'll talk more about that later, but for the next few days please do your best to make yourselves stick with the fingers and a business card.  Make it work for you.  I promise that it will be frustrating, but also that you'll understand once you've done it.

I promised some firing schedules today... I'm going to post the schedules I'm using based on my particular kiln as well as the size glass I'm using, but please keep in mind that you may need to adapt for your kiln / glass if there is a big difference in your situation.  These are programs I have been successful with, but may not be 'the standard'.  More on that in a week or so.





Here are my pieces for today.  One for the glass challenge, and one for my painting challenge.  My glass piece is in the kiln right now, and tomorrow I will post the fired piece.

Firing Schedule for the tree above:  It is 4"x6", and I added a layer of black behind it to make it 2 standard sheets thick with small bits of frit on top of the powder.  I'm using Bullseye Glass. (90 coe)  Firing in a tabletop kiln with a 10' shelf, single side element, no top element.

300 DPH

1000F

Hold 10 min.

AFAP

1460F

Hold 10 min.

AFAP

900

Hold 35 min. 

End Program

*AFAP= As Fast As Possible, enter 9999 on most kilns when you program.

Best to you all, and thank you again for participating.  See you here tomorrow, Nanoo Nanoo :)

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Tiniest of Trees for Today

Short and sweet today, I'm up to my eyeballs in orders and piles of glass.  This is a great thing!  These little fused glass sgraffito 'sketches' are tiny, only 2½ x 3½ inches, but they're great for testing color in the kiln without wasting a lot of materials. I've been worrying about my baby fruit trees surviving the cold, so sketches of warm weather trees will do nicely.

Today, Jan.3rd,  I learned that I have to set up my keyboard in order to type the 'half' symbol.  I thought I would be smart and copy/paste one from another site, but alas, it has changed my font size.  Lesson learned. I also tried mint tea for the first time and it's not so bad after all.

These pieces are available for sale in my Daily Paintworks Gallery