They say that art is subjective, and rooted in personal opinions and biases. Conversely, as artists, we still strive for community. How does one take a mostly solitary endeavor, which is so aligned with one’s personal preferences, and make it communal? You can brainstorm with other artists and share ideas, but ultimately, one artist works on a piece at a time (with the rare, very cool, exception of two artists co-operatively painting on the same canvases simultaneously)
A Yin to My Yang
- Pyrography: the art or technique of decorating various mediums such wood, leather, paper, or canvas by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point.
- Woodburning: creating designs by burning onto wood.
- Lichtenberg burning (aka fractal burning, wood fracking): Woodburning technique where a Lichtenberg figure is burnt into wood using high voltage electricity
As a pyrographer, I have been fortunate enough to meet fellow artists who do woodburning. Back in 2022, I met two such artists, Jessica and Drew Crowley of Crowleys Crafty Creations. Jessica creates Lichtenberg pieces. We met at a particularly slow market and I absolutely fell in love with some of her work. As you often do at the end of a slow market, we exchanged some pieces and I bought some others with the intention of adding my own art to hers thus creating something truly unique.
Finding Inspiration
I like to spend ample time looking at her pieces waiting for inspiration. Some pieces speak to me and invoke a thought or feeling. The first piece I ever made using one of her designs was a table and bench set. The goal was to create something rustic so I added mountains and trees. The other piece I made last year was a lighthouse. The fractals reminded me of a bolt of lightning on a stormy sea.
This year, I was inspired to create a ship on the high seas fighting nature’s wrath. That piece is called Stormy Seas and is a favorite at art shows. A more recent piece reminded me of the delicate branches of a tree. This inspired Sakura, a piece reminiscent of Japanese cherry blossoms in full bloom. Crowleys and I will be sharing a booth at Charlotte Pride (August 17 and 18) this year and I plan to have a set of collaborative pieces to show. Some upcoming pieces will be based on the majestic beauty of Magnolia Trees, literary classics like Lord Of the Rings, and lighthouses.
Do you have any inspirational stories about collaborations you’ve been a part of? Tag us @bz_furfur and tell us your story. And, as always, stay unique.
