Finding your Muse

All artists have a unique way that they create their art. It takes time, however, to find that style and, as a result, every artist starts as a copycat of another artist they admire. Much like an apprentice, they begin learning the techniques and theories of this artist. This can be in the form of classes, or learning directly from their mentor. Others learn by studying their mentor’s work through books, history, or simply admiring their pieces. Learning the basic techniques takes years or study and practice and, eventually, every artist starts branching off, evolving, adopting techniques from other artists, and ultimately establishing their own unique style.

Learning your Strengths and Weaknesses

In my mind’s eye, my drawings are superb. In reality, however, my skill when it comes to drawing leaves something to be desired. As an artist, this is unfortunate. There are, however, things that I can do such as trace, and create beautiful lines. When I started doing pyrography I did simple pictures much akin to those you would find in coloring books. Tracing the lines allowed me to develop techniques for creating straight lines and neat curves. Once I was comfortable with those I began experimenting with different mediums to color them in. This continued on to more complex patterns and further experimentation with coloring mediums until I started to find my niche. Now I continue to challenge myself by trying realistic pieces. My next endeavor is to create works that look like photographs burned into wood.

The Journey of a Thousand Strokes

Throughout my journey I found many things which I loved, particularly shading. There is something satisfying about creating shadows and depth, lines that draw the viewers eye to focal points. Minisa Robinson of Woodburning University (@minisa_robinson) was a muse of mine. She inspired me, through her patterns and her classes, to create a piece with flowers and an owl. 

Having failed before with fine lines and shadow I was reluctant to try again, but something about these patterns called to me. I took the two patterns and made my own design combining them together. The wood, a piece I had been sitting on from Carolina Urban Lumber (@carolinaurbanlumber) for about two years, was undoubtedly the canvas I was going to use for this piece. It was cut on an angle, stands upright, and is itself unique. After putting the pattern on the wood, I’m not going to lie, I was worried.  I worried that I might damage the wood beyond repair. Worried I bit off more than I could chew.  Reluctantly I took a leap of faith, and, what I created is a piece of work that I absolutely love. 

I amazed myself with the patience demonstrated, the lines I drew, and the depth I created. Most of all I found that I love creating flowers evident by the fact that I subsequently created two more floral pieces. Those pieces sold without hesitation and I learned that not only do I love doing florals, but others love them as well.

The Next Endeavor 

So does this mean I found my “style”. Maybe, or maybe I this is a stepping stone to what my style will ultimately be. What I do know is I will continue to push the limits of my work, try things that are outside my comfort zone, continue to learn from those around me, and hopefully create many more beautiful things along the way.

How about you? What are you good at? Who was your muse? Tag us @bz_furfur and tell us about your journey and, as always, stay unique.

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A Dream Not Realized

Little known Zona fact: After doing a testimonial published in a print ad some time ago I got the modeling bug. The lights, cameras, and excitement were intoxicating. It was short-lived, however, as they said I was too short and their ideals of what a model should look like did not align with mine. That’s not to say it wasn’t fun while it lasted. However, the one thing I had wanted to do, an opportunity that never presented itself, was to walk a runway. 

Lending a Hand

Fast forward twenty-odd years later and I am being asked to assist a designer at a show! Truthfully, the tasks I was assigned offered a nice opportunity to sharpen some of my managerial skills that I don’t use so often as a solo business entrepreneur. Jill placed me in charge of inventory, distribution, and collection. Being able to help her in her first-ever fashion show was nice. Imagine the fear, excitement, and anxiety she must have felt. I was happy to be there to support her. It was also nice that it wasn’t “my” show, so I didn’t need to worry about all the details, I only had to focus on certain tasks that needed to be taken care of.  

Now, those of you who know me, know there are two Zonas; Work Zona and Fun Zona. Work Zona is driven to complete tasks efficiently, completely, and correctly. I was there to do a job and, damnit, I was going to do it right. That doesn’t mean that Fun Zona wasn’t invited at all. I dressed in my favorite outfit; an all-black corset and leggings. Unbeknownst to me this was actually the theme of Jill’s show; victorian lace and badassery. 

You Better Work, Girl

Of course, no event can go by without a hitch.  It turns out one of her models was a no-show and, of course, the pieces she was intended to wear were pieces Jill absolutely wanted to show. Surveying the outfits of all the models none of them quite fit the theme for this particular piece. When her gaze came around to me her immediate thought was “Zona, you could do it”. I didn’t hesitate and I told her I would do it. Not only did I walk out there with confidence (save for some nervousness as I waited at the entrance to the runway), but I was the first to represent her.

It was a bit of a crash course for me. Terms like “flood walk” – the walk all the models do together after everyone has walked and with the designer – were new to me. What I also learned was that I could still do the things that scare me, but that secretly I always wished I could. It was a bit of a Cinderella moment for me, albeit a bit more badass given the black corset with chains and buttons, black shiny leggings and heeled boots.

Dreams Fulfilled

What I learned after all this is my experiences have value.  Over the years I’ve acquired life skills that have benefitted me in many different settings. Being a manager taught me how to handle a team, identify tasks and prioritize.  It taught me how to devise and execute a process quickly. My creativity helped me quickly see her vision and help her make it a reality. My experience as a small business owner, operating in 10’x10’ spaces in pop-ups, taught me how to operate in small spaces efficiently. All those hours playing Tetris helped me manage all those pieces in a small container. Knowing how to be a friend helped me make her show a success. It was amazing to be able to sit back and watch her shine. 

If you know me you have heard me talk about karma. You do good things, and good things happen. Maybe, by putting aside everything to help out a friend, karma was allowing me to accomplish something I never thought I would have the opportunity to achieve. On top of that, maybe this new experience will be something that I will carry forward to help me succeed in other future endeavors. Do you have a dream that you were able to fulfill that eluded you for years. Tell us about it and tag us @bz_furfur and, as always, stay unique.

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I spent years in retail selling other people’s products in big box stores and, to be honest, I was pretty good at it. Promoting the things other people create was “easy” for me. This was especially true if I knew about the item and felt strongly enough about it that I could back it.

The one thing I am not comfortable promoting or selling, however, is my own creations. 

“Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological experience of intellectual and professional infraudulence.”

Imposter syndrome is “the subjective experience of perceived self-doubt in one’s abilities and accomplishments compared with others, despite evidence to suggest the contrary.” Truth be told, I know I am good at what I do. My pieces are beautiful, the lines crisp (so much so that it is often mistaken for machine-made), and the painting is clean and vibrant. There are some pieces I am more proud of than others, especially on my more intricate works, but somehow when talking about myself something gets lost. Promoting my work feels so much like boasting and bragging. I subconsciously fight with the voice in my head telling me that being proud of my work is “wrong” and that humility is what I should be striving for. 

Unfortunately, being unable to promote myself is not conducive to a profitable business. Being able to promote yourself in order to attract buyers or customers or patrons is critical to success. Fortunately, I have Brian. He truly is my biggest supporter, advocator, cheerleader, and partner. We work very well together at markets because I can sit on the side and quietly burn, while he engages people. Networking events are a different story. I can’t go hide in a corner and wait for someone to approach me. I have to leave my comfort zone and engage with people myself. This is definitely a work in progress.

I met a metal worker, Jill (@JillMelyssa) at a coffee networking event hosted by The Guild Of Charlotte Arts (@guildofcharlotteartists). She makes unique, beautiful jewelry pieces. She asked me to attend a fashion show with her recently. As I work mainly with wood, it isn’t really in my scene, but I had never been to an art fashion show. The artist Jonay Di Ragno (@jonay_di_ragno) is a mixed-media artist, who works with canvas, acrylics, glass, clothing, and other media. It was a fun night, the art was beautiful and the fashion so unique. It was out of my normal networking circles, but I spoke to a few people and made some connections. I did not think I would be able to do that, because to me fashion and pyrography are in two different worlds. But I soon realized by talking with attendees that I was wrong. I burn on cotton and leather, which is wearable. Bags and purses can be made of wood which, also, I can burn into. I realized that there could be opportunities for collaboration. If I had allowed my self-doubt and fears to be dominant I would not have had the opportunity to expand my horizons and think about where that could take me.

Do you struggle to get out of your comfort zone? What is your success story. Tag us @bz_furfur and share it with us and, as always, stay unique.

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As a crafter, I have taught myself many different skills. Various forms of fiber crafts: knitting, crochet, embroidery, Tatting (creating lace), and macrame. Jewelry making, watercolor painting (I am not so good at this one), diamond painting, and of course Pyrography just to name a few.

When I started the business in 2021, I knew I couldn’t do all the things I knew because it would be way too much, plus many of those crafts take time to make. Realistically, I also knew that the market was over-saturated with many of those crafts. So I had to think about what I wanted to focus on, what did I want to do? What would be my focus. I have always been someone who immerses themselves in whatever craft/art I have decided to teach myself. I had been wanting to try wood burning for a while. I had a pyrography pen for years and never really tried it. I knew if I wanted to give it a go, I needed to leave my comfort zone and try a new medium. I would have to step out of my comfort zone. Never one to back down from learning a new craft, I did some research, watched some YouTube, bought a book, and some wood blanks, and dove in!

3 years later, it’s 2024 and I know I have grown so much. In my art. So much so that I am trying to move into a fine art realm. I started with SVGs, and simple pictures – essentially coloring books/pictures on wood. I sold many pieces this way at markets, many of which prompted people to want custom orders. My goal, though, is I want to do fine art. I see the work of people I look up to and I strive for the realism, crispness, and emotions it evokes as well as the prices they command. So I have been practicing with more realistic pictures, practicing the patience and techniques required for a piece that will take hours if not days rather than a few hours. It’s uncomfortable for me as I like to “be done” with a project. I have in my head that I want to be done in 20 hours or fewer. It’s a conscious practice to focus on the current project, each line, and think about THIS project and how it needs to be created rather than the next one after this project. But I have started the transition and it feels less and less uncomfortable each time. I am confident at some point it will stop being uncomfortable altogether.

What have you taken on that was uncomfortable at first? Tag us @bz_furfur and, as always, stay unique.

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“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

I am an artist.  It took me a long time to admit that to myself.  Before making this realization I would describe myself as crafty. Even after doing pyrography professionally for three years, it is hard to call myself an artist.  As an artist, I struggle to to decide if I should focus on making what I love, or what I think other people will love. If I make what other people will love I have to sacrifice my own desires, but if I make what I love I don’t know if there will there be a market for it.

“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down simply by spending his money somewhere else.” 

–  Sam Walton

I will often find myself trying to follow trends. Trying to understand what the customer wants and creating something that will satisfy them. At the end of the day making art is ultimately appeasing the customer.  This often means walking around markets and seeing what others are making or searching trending hashtags on Instagram to see what people are excited about. The problem is trying to follow these trends often means that my products are carbon copies of what is at everyone else’s table at the shows or what everyone else has on their website.

“Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet.”

– Keven Stirtz

The best thing I’ve found to do is determine what you are good at that. Do your absolute best to create a unique product and talk to customers to adapt your style to match what they love. This may mean making some concessions to your particular style. This is not a bad thing.  If you can learn to adapt to your customers, ultimately, you will find a place where your talent and what he customer wants meet.

“To practice any art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. So do it.”

– Kurt Vonnegut

At the end of the day, it is important that you are making art that both you, and your customer, will love.  And, as always, stay unique.

“Ignoring what sells doesn’t make you a better artist, it makes you a starving artist.”

– Marie Forleo

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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.

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J. K. Rowling: Author of the Harry Potter series Rowling is the creative mind behind the unforgettable magicians of Hogwarts. I fell in love with this book series when it was first printed and would wait outside Borders on release day to get the hardcovers when they were released. This series is a staple in our house and we often bring these books up to discuss the lore of these amazing novels

George R R Martin: The mastermind behind the Game of Thrones series. This book series, which spawned the amazing HBO series, is a tremendous showcase of world-building and fantasy. Full of tension and betrayal both the books and the show keep you on the edge of your seat.

J. R. R. Tolkien: The grandfather of fantasy novels, Tolkien is responsible for what is probably the most well-known book series in the genre: The Lord of the Rings. These books established much of what we know as fantasy today with many of the creatures and lore being adopted in books, movies, shows, and games for years to come. These books gave us memorable characters, a compelling story of adventure and friendship, and a range of emotions as our heroes traveled the countryside to save their world from corruption.

Kurt Vonnegut: A satirist and a cynic Vonnegut was a master of his craft. Creating stories like Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions that merged modern fiction and sci-fi to create engaging stories and compelling characters with what seemed like ease. His novels and short stories made us laugh and reflect on ourselves in a way that few authors are capable of.

Each of these authors has served as an inspiration to me in my pyrography. What authors have given you inspiration in your craft? Tag us @bz_furfur and, as always, stay unique.

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It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg.

As an artist, we often look at the works of others with a great sense of awe. By comparing ourselves and our work to that of other artists we often feel less satisfied with our own creations. Maybe another artist uses a technique that we have never been able to master, has access to tools or creative spaces that we don’t, or has an innate talent that we don’t. Sometimes it is okay to look to others’ work to help inspire us, but often it is more important to follow our own journey.

Looking to others for inspiration

There are so many great artists.  As a pyrography artist I will often look at others in the community to learn new techniques, get ideas on tools and mediums that may work better for different projects, or to simply get inspired. I don’t limit it to just my particular craft, either. Every art style inspires me in some way. Being that I paint my pieces learning about different paint mediums and techniques can take me beyond my current abilities. Even looking at the work of artists who work in completely different styles and genres can help shape my approach to my own works.

Taking the time to learn

Learning new techniques is great but actually getting good at it and working it into my flow can be a challenge.  As a bit of a perfectionist, I do not like to do something unless it meets my standards. So, when I want to try burning a particular texture or style of shading I may have to work at it over and over again until I am happy with the end result. This could mean it may be days, weeks, or even months before I would be comfortable selling a piece that incorporates this technique.  Unfortunately, this can be a bit disheartening at times because it feels that I am not making the progress that I am happy with. Instead, it feels like treading water.  The most important thing is to reflect on your progress.

Reflecting on your growth

As time goes on you are going to improve.  By learning from others and practicing you are, inevitably, going to get better at your craft. It may not seem like it when you are struggling to learn something new or you are comparing your work to that of others.  That is why it is so important to look at your previous works and compare them to your current work.  Take a piece that you did months or years ago and do it again using the new techniques that you have developed.  See how far you’ve come and appreciate your own growth instead of comparing it to the works of others.

Do you have an example of a piece that you re-made recently that shows how much you’ve improved? Share it and tag us @bz_furfur and show us your progress.  And, as always, stay unique.

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Hank’s Farm

Every project that I take on is special in its own way. Sometimes it’s because of the meaningfulness of the piece to the client. Other times it is because it gives me an opportunity to create something new and unique that I may use techniques or mediums I have never worked with before. Often times it is simply because it is unlike any of my previous work.

I recently had an opportunity to work with a family I met at a market who wanted to commission a piece for their father. The piece was going to be something he could hang up in his workshop. What made this piece so unique was the size of it. It was to be on a six-foot by 13-inch piece of spalted red oak. This was the biggest piece I have worked on to date and, I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous at first.

Nevertheless, I went off to Carolina Urban Lumber to see what they had and I found this gorgeous canvas to create this piece. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to burn such a large piece with my tools but, low and behold, my Razortip was more than up to the task. The final product, well, I’ll let her speak to that

“Zona is absolutely amazing! Her artwork is one of a kind and the piece she made for my family is so special and unique. Her professionalism makes working with her a blast and this commission was everything I could have asked for and more! Thank you Zona!”

It is absolutely wonderful when a piece just comes together in this way. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to share what you are thankful for and tag us @bz.furfur. See you all next week and, remember, stay unique.

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There is no one alive who is Youer than You

I love getting requests for commissions. When a prospective customer looks at my product it is evident when a piece speaks to them. Their demeanor changes, a look of awe crosses their face, and you can sense their excitement. This is usually followed by something along the lines of “I like this, but what I would really love is …”. Most of the time, given what they are asking is not too far outside my wheelhouse, I can create what they are asking for. Then comes the fun part; collaborating with a customer and bringing their special one-of-a-kind piece to life. This is the part I love.

Where you are, that is home

One’s home is a source of comfort, peace, and safety. We fill it with memories, laughter, and things that remind us of the best moments of our lives. Once I watched an artist paint a watercolor of a house and was inspired to do the same thing with pyrography.  I had taken one of Renee‘s classes on textures and decided this would be a great opportunity to put this new skill to the test. On a whim, and as a personal challenge to myself, I did a burn of my own house. As with most artists, I am very critical of my work, analyzing every slight imperfection, however, I was still extremely proud of that piece regardless. This piece is prominently displayed at every market I attend as an example of what I can do and to inspire ideas in others.

At a recent market, a young lady saw this piece and knew she needed one for her own home. After discussing all the logistics I quickly got to work on the piece as soon as I got back to my studio. The final product was a gorgeous accompaniment to her mantle and I was very honored that she trusted me with this very personal art.

If you are looking for a custom piece of your own don’t hesitate to reach out. The holidays are coming and now is the time to get your requests in for commissions. Thank you for reading and I’ll see y’all next week.

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