Folk Art Almost Lost

According to The Free Dictionary, "folk art is the art works of a culturally homogeneous people produced by artists without formal training". This would encompass anything from quilting to sculpture and painting. One form of folk art that has suffered severe decline over the years is pyrography, or wood burning.

Pyrography has an interesting history dating back, some say, all the way to 700 A.D. in the country of Peru. Some claim the beginning of pyrography to somewhere between the first and fourth century by the Romans during their occupation of Britain.

The word "pyrography" is derived from the Greek words "pur" (fire) and "graphos" (writing), taken literally as "writing with fire".

Pyrography is utilized mostly for wood, leather (tanned specially without modern chemicals) and gourds. Wikipedia states that hardwoods are good for pyrography, but personally I would not recommend using hardwood unless you can afford to purchase one of the more expensive burners that have a higher temperature. This Native Chief with the Bear Headdress is burned on poplar and although I like the way the piece looks, I would not do another piece on poplar without a high end wire tipped pen.

If you have been bitten by the "fire writing" bug, please be aware of the tools you are going to purchase. Make sure that there are safety features on your electric equipment, whether it be the old fashioned pen that resembles a soldering iron, or a wire tipped machine. Make sure that your pen has a grip that will not get hot and burn your hand. Some pens have interchangeable tips but others do not so it is always a good idea to ask questions, compare pens and also compare prices. My preference for a wire tipped pen setup would be a "Razortip" machine. Prices vary so do your homework!

The burning tools of today are vastly different than those of past eras; from the poker set in a fire every couple of minutes to something resembling a soldering iron to the newer burner with wire tips. Even though technology has given us easier ways to create a masterpiece, the art form, itself, has died off to a great degree.

Patterns for wood burning and carving can be found all over the internet for those of us who are challenged when it comes to drawing. Basic lessons in wood burning can also be found in several places on the internet. My favorite one stop shop for pyrography is Wood Carving Patterns.com. Lessons for wood burning and carving can be found as well as "how to" instructions for coloring your artwork...even with water colors.

One thing needed more than anything thing else when attempting to create a wood burned piece of art is patience. It is relatively easy to burn a mark on a piece of wood but to utilize the art of pyrography, you need to learn how to learn to burn the wood at different levels, so to speak. Some lines will need to be thicker and deeper, which means you have to go more slowly when burning your line. Thin, lighter lines are made by a lighter, quicker touch to the wood with your burning pen.

By utilizing angles and different tips on your burning pen, you can create all kinds of shading on a piece of wood burned art. Shading can be made in the most simple form just by lightly touching a rounded tip to the wood and creating dots The amount of shading you might want will vary, depending on the piece but the only thing that limits you is your imagination!

If you are not sure about spending a lot of money on the wood to start with, Walnut Hollow almost always has sales on "Factory Irregulars, which are slightly blemished, unfinished "rounds". They are not actually round and they are basically larger pine wood "cookies" with the bark still around the edges. These "rounds" are deeply discounted compared to craft stores. Wal-Mart sells these blemished pieces at full price from Walnut Hollow when Walnut Hollow will not. The picture of the Native Chief with the full headdress is burned on one of these discounted pieces. The piece of wood cost me less than $2.00 from Walnut Hollow but would have cost $10.00 or more at Wal-Mart, it is huge. The blemish on the wood, itself, gives this piece a bit of rustic charm all to itself!

Pictures are not the only way to make a cherished piece of art with pyrography. Customized plaques celebrating anything from an engagement, weddings, birthdays, achievements of all kinds can be commemorated permanently on wood. I have included a picture of a baby plaque and a family clock made as a Christmas gift as examples of the variety of ways you can create things with "fire writing".

Nothing is as touching as a gift made especially for someone, like the box with a photo burned on it. These are heirloom quality pieces that are almost indestructible...if taken care of properly. When I was a child I used pyrography to make gifts for Christmas and those gift have been passed down one, two or even three generations by now...and they are still appreciated memories.

It is very fulfilling to create a work of art from a blank piece of wood. You might actually find yourself enjoying it, too!