I assign scratchboard projects for my classes every year. Scratchboard is a board that has a layer of white clay covered with India ink. When you scratch it, you create a white line. I have taught my students techniques, critiqued their work, help them work through problems. However, I admitted to one of my classes last year that I had never done a scratchboard. (Can't believe I did that!) So they challenged me this year to do one and even gave me a due date. Well, I finished it this week, only a month late. (Boy did they have fun with that!!) While I was working on the project, I kept asking myself why I didn't choose something a little easier. Anyway, it is finished, and I am pleased with it. I will let my students critique it next week. I know that my seniors will be completely honest with me.
Ste. Genevieve
8" x 10" Scratchboard
$250 (includes shipping and handling)
This is from a picture I took in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri several years ago. Ste Genevieve is a very old town on the Mississippi river founded by Frenchmen that had traveled down the river from Canada. It happens to be the home of some of my French ancestors. One of them was Nicolas Janis and was the reason my parents named me Janis. There are many old French style homes in this village including the Nicolas Janis home built around 1790.
This house is a newer home ( probably 1940's?) I saw it as we drove into the town. I love the way the light is shining on the front door and was a great inspiration for a black and white scratchboard.
You have inspired me to try a scratchboard and I love it!! It's much more suitable to my lifestyle right now b/c I can sit in the living room with my hubby and work on it. It's hard to make my brain think differently but that's one reason I wanted to try it. I am working on a pear drawing--something simple-- and will email it to you when I'm done so you can tell me what I did wrong!! LOL!! Thanks for the inspiration and I'll be in touch!!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! Would love to try out this technique!
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