Introduction

Hi!  My name is Val.  My hobby is pyrography, or woodburning.  I was introduced to woodburning when I received a woodburner kit for Christmas one year when I was around ten years old.  I created a couple of small projects from the kit...and then didn't touch a woodburner again for over a decade.  When I returned from the hiatus, I moved from woodburning outlines and painting to plaque to using shading techniques to create a finished "drawing" on the wood.  Today, I employ both shading and color techniques, depending on the project.

I have always enjoyed doodling, predominantly with pencil or pen and ink, but found that pyrography is really where my passion lies.  There is nothing like taking a blank piece of wood, transferring and burning a pattern...the scent of the burning wood filling my studio...to center and calm me.  It is when I feel closest to my Creator...knowing any talent I have is a gift I have done nothing to deserve.

Over the past several years, I have returned to the craft with a bit more frequency...as well as a desire to experiment with new mediums and tools.  I have purchased a couple of professional burners with variable temperature controls and interchangeable tips and nibs, and am hoping to explore burning on materials such as gourds, paper, tagua and leather in the future.

I have created a few pages to share some of my works, and will post new projects as I continue on this journey.  Currently, I have a few open requests from family and friends.  A sister has asked me to burn her wedding vows, and I have completed and transferred the design.  It is only waiting for a hot tool to touch it!  One of my nieces has requested a plaque with a carousel design, and my nine-year-old neighbor is still waiting on one with zebras.  (That's what happens when I take my pattern books out while "coloring" with the girls!) I hope to complete these projects in the next few weeks, and then hope to start experimenting with gourds.

For those of you who are interested in pyrography, I have posted links to some great websites that explain the art and provide images created by some true masters of the craft.  Enjoy!