As part of the official Challenge Addicts Club on Fine Art America, I have been participating in a new challenge every week. Last week it a six day challenge in which the theme was blue. If you’ll recall, I used my blue bowl for the green challenge. I didn’t want to use the same bowl again. I briefly considered finding something green and changing it to blue, but that felt like more work than necessary. I have lots of blue things in my house anyway. I have a nice blue teapot, blue clothes, blue dishes, then I remembered that I have a blue Blenko bottle.
Blenko Glass Company is a family owned business since 1893. It has been at its current location in Milton, WV since 1921. Blenko glass still creates hand-blown glass products of all types, from these bottles to suncatchers and more.
Bottle Wash
This bottle was up on a high shelf and had not been touched or looked at for awhile, so it needed a good soak. I thought it looked kind of cool in the suds, so I shot it with available window light. I finished it using a Topaz Chalk Smudge filter.
Bottle Pour
I didn’t really have the time to set up an actual pour, so I thought I’d run water through the bottle and have the water pouring over. I finished this image with a Topaz Chalk Smudge filter for consistency.
Bottle in the Window
This image is a simple image of the bottle sitting int he window. I wanted the squareness of the window frames against the organic, rounded shapes of the bottle. Also finished with the Chalk Smudge filter.
Bottle Overhead
I had been hoping for some rain to show the bottle with some water running over. But no such luck, so I decided to show the shape of the bottle from the top. I used a weathered wood background to add texture. I did not use the Chalk Smudge filter on this one because it lost so much texture with it.
![](https://i0.wp.com/render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/print/8/5.5/break/images/artworkimages/medium/3/blue-bottle-overhead-sharon-popek.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
Bottle Shapes Inside
I admit that at this point, I was getting frustrated. I really wanted that rain pic and failing that, maybe a nice heavy sun ray through the bottle. But I couldn’t get rain or sunshine. To add a little interest, I placed some wisteria leaves inside. This one is finished with that same Chalk Smudge filter.
![](https://i0.wp.com/render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/print/8/8/break/images/artworkimages/medium/3/blue-bottle-shapes-inside-sharon-popek.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1)
Finally SUN!
The sun finally came out at just the right time and gave me that beautiful light I had been waiting for. I placed it on a red cushion for some extra color and texture. I finished with a slightly different Chalk Smudge filter.
![](https://i0.wp.com/render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/print/8/5.5/break/images/artworkimages/medium/3/blue-light-sharon-popek.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1)
Now I’m just waiting for some rain, so I can get that rain shot I’ve been thinking about!
![](https://i0.wp.com/sharonpopek.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/blue-cert.jpeg?resize=1200%2C927&ssl=1)
Beautiful blues!!! I have an old cobalt blue vase .. not very big … that belonged to my grandmother. I can still see it near the window with the light coming through in her kitchen. Your lovely blue examples remind me of it!!! Good luck with the challenges … I haven’t gotten into them but they look like great fun!!
Intriguing challenge – it is great for stretching your mind into unusual corners!