My name is Julie and I started ‘Featherburn’ to create artworks via a wood burning medium called Pyrography. I have always been interested in art, an interest I gained from my Mum. Now, she really did have a talent for pencil sketches, and if funds had allowed she would have definitely loved to have gone to Art College to progress further. I have fond memories as a child, my Mum would draw lovely sketches and I would sit for hours just colouring them in. My love of art continued and I have enjoyed sketching animals and sometimes portraits as the years rolled by.
Fast forward to 2016 when sadly I lost my amazing Mum and she left behind a huge hole in my life. I knew that my favourite hobby of sketching brought peace and a kind of therapy when I was ‘in the moment’ and lost in a process of creating an artwork. I used this for a while and then I felt I was ready to explore a different way of sketching.
Near to where I live, there is a layby close to a favourite dog walking park, a wood artist would pull up in his old van and display some of his wood carvings. They were really intricate pieces and I would occasionally stop and look at them and have a chat with him. Sometimes, he would display some beautiful pieces of wood with wood burnings on them which his wife had created. In our chats I learned that she used a small soldering iron to do her simple but very effective images of trees.
I decided that I would like to try this at home, so using my husband’s old soldering iron I burned a simple tree onto the back of a wooden tea tray! This was my first attempt at Pyrography – the proper name for Wood Burning!!
I found this so therapeutic, I loved combining the unusual way to express my sketches with the smell of the wood and the overall effect that could transform a boring piece of wood. Several years on, it has now become one of my passions and I have progressed from a rusty old soldering iron to a professional Pyrography Machine. This is the machine that I love using and I would highly recommend this to any budding Pyrography Artist.
During the learning years, I enjoyed burning for friends and family, it was inexpensive and rewarding. I went on to develop both my kit and my skills to the point where I feel confident producing ‘one of a kind’ art pieces and commissions and love to sell my wares at the locals craft fairs in my area. I decided to show some of my pieces on Social Media but needed a name to reflect my art. ‘Featherburn’ was born, the strokes of a pyrography nib are featherlight and I have a strong affiliation to the connection of white feathers and passed loved ones.
In my opinion art in any form is meant for people to enjoy and there is more than enough space for every type of artist. I believe that Pyrography is such a unique medium, no two pieces are ever the same and Pyrography is just another wonderful sector in the art world. My goal with my pyrography is to create unique wood burnings that will not only make the customer happy but will give me happiness in the creation. I wholeheartedly encourage anyone to pick up the pyro pen and give it a
go! You will be surprised at your ability and enjoy the mental health benefits, I would like to inspire others in their creativity too.
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Joining a creative forum for Pyrography was indeed another positive step for me. I have experienced so much encouragement from other Wood Burners who are way ahead of me in their skill level and yet I have managed to find myself helping others who are just starting out. In this day and age, being part of a kind, courteous group is rather refreshing and very informative too.
Today I have just finished my latest creation, using Maple wood I have depicted a pair of Rutting Stags. I love being on this creative journey and think the journey from my first ‘tea tray tree’ image to these Stags just shows what you can achieve if you continue learning from others in the brilliant world of Pyrography. https://www.thatsclever.co.uk/shop/hand-pyrography-rutting-stags/
