Welcome to my blog. I am a young, self-taught artist from the Gulf Coast, who wants to provide pyrographic artwork that sends a clear strong message. Please take time to look through my pages and posts. I appreciate comments, love making new friends, and covet faithful followers. Shout hello if you know me, or are just passing through.

Friday, December 31, 2010

2011

           If this post makes no sense at all and if the sentences are run on and nonsense and repeat themselves and run on and don't make sense...it is because I am up at 11:41 PM.  I am a party pooper.  I do not like to party late, nor do I like New Year's Eve Parties. 

          The reason I am up so late, is strictly because others like to party on New Years.  This includes my bedroom.  This would not be a problem, could I sleep anywhere in any setting.  However, I do not sleep unless there is complete darkness and complete silence.  Now, this has it's rules and exceptions to the rules.  I sleep through downpours, I sleep through Gulf Coast Thunderstorms and Super cells, I slept through Hurricane Ivan, (I was on the front porch during Hurricane Katrina) I sleep through firecracker explosions, I sleep through the fire department arriving at my dad's call because someone stole a vehicle and burned it on the road in front of our house.  I sleep through alot. 

          I do not sleep through someone staying up late on the computer in the other room.  I do not sleep through two people talking in the other room.  I do not sleep through running TV's, radios, night lights, or the neighbors' bonfire parties at midnight.  I do not sleep through someone reading a book in the next room. 

           This is how the start of every New Year begins for me.  With bags under my eyes, fog brain, appetite loss, grumpiness, and slurred speech I crawl into bed whenever the other's decide they're heard the last firecracker and played their last card or board came...when they themselves are too tired to laugh.  I crawl into bed...and...it's now 11:52 PM....my fingers are becoming about as sluggish...as my brain here....

           It's doubtful you've read this post in the year 2010.  In just a few minutes the world...in it's successive time zones will welcome in the year 2011.  New years do not excite me because they are new years with new numbers to represent them.  I celebrate the New Year as being a few months closer to spring and summer...my favorite months.  I celebrate it because I am so happy to have another year to spend with the people I love.  And I definately celebrate the fact that all the hooplah is finally over so that I can get my sleep. 

          It is now 11:57 PM.  Happy New Years.  I'm going to bed and when it's 12:01 AM January 1st, 2011, you just get your noise over with and crawl under the covers.  I'll do my celebrating at 6:30 AM January 1st, 2011 like all normal people.  Goodmorning dear readers.  Goodmorning 2011. 

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Pan Flute

        I am so excited and happy to announce the arrival of my panflute!!  Because I play silver flute in a youth orchestra it is not hard for me to play, however, I still have yet to master the half steps in the lower octave.  This magnificent instrument was purchased from Hawaii, hand crafted by Brad White, a pan flute musician himself as well as teacher. 

        I cannot say enough about his professionalism and the way he conducts his panflute shop.  My pan flute is of excellent quality, crafted from durable Maple wood (beautiful too!) and complete with an inlay band.  I am so excited to be learning it and cannot wait to be good enough to be able to play most songs on it.  It, being a Grand Tenor, has the range of my orchestral silver flute, and I like that.  I can reach middle C and go three full octaves up to the third c with some clarity. 

      I hadn't experienced dizziness since I first picked up my silver Pearl (well, actually, I learned on a Laval) but I'm convinced the panflute requires much more air support than does any metal pipe.  I love the earthy, ethereal sound the vibrating wood gives off and quite prefer it to my silver flute, although I still treasure it as well.  However, the more flutes the merrier.  They are like my other voices...my second and third sets of vocal chords.  If you think I can't sing...well, let me get my flute.  

     Just because you don't have a voice like so and so doesn't mean you can't sing.  At least, that's the way I feel about it.  Anyway, if you're in the United States, or anywhere in the world for that matter, and are interested in pan flutes, visit Brad White's pan flute shop.  Not only does he sell them there but he also offers helpful resources for the aspiring musician.     http://panflute.net/
                     Now, this panflute means that I will soon be posting the construction of a highly durable case with which I can transport, store, and hold it in.  It's gorgeous pipes would not be complimented by any old plastic woven black case and it doesn't look South American enough for me to weave one of yarn.  I intend to create a purse with a long strap so that when slung over my soulder, rests the pan flute directly under my arm for added protection.  I hope to construct the case of soft leather and hair on hide (perhaps rabbit or cow to match my other bag) and line it with a very fluffy and protective lining...not egg crate...but something just as good. 

                     Please comment if you have any good or even better ideas.  And don't forget to check out my new page "Pyromail"  Now...I've spent all this time blogging when I could have been practising.

Monday, December 27, 2010

A Milli Milestone

Dear Friends, Readers, Followers, and Newcomers,

       I am so excited to announce that Phoenix Pyrocreations has welcomed a total of 11 wonderful followers, and 1,000 total pageviews.  I also became a little misty when I found that I had a high of 16 pagviews on Christmas day, and 11 on Christmas Eve.  Perhaps my dear friends were looking for a Christmas post from me.  I did consider it but I assumed noone would bother visiting around the holidays and so the post would not get read.  I want to take this moment to thank you all again for visiting regularly and remind you that your comments and fanship are coveted on this corner of the web. 

       I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, full of health and happiness.  Godbless you all,

    Sincerely,

       The Author, Administrator, and Artist

Please enjoy this video.  I Love it! 

Friday, December 17, 2010

Flash Mob in Mall Food Court

With the Christmas season comes hustle and bustle.  People are tense, in a rush, bustling about.  Some are too scared to say Merry Christmas for fear of offending their neighbor.  A friend sent me a link to a video that brings smile to my face.  I don't really see too many people in this video who are irritated by the surprise they recieved.  If anything, they all seemed to love it.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

US Army in Color

                Using some oil pencils I invested in recently, I was able to begin coloring it.  The camo uniform still needs some work but otherwise the colors aren't too bold and distracting.  The skin tone of the two is very good in my opinion and perhaps I will work on darkening little boy's skin. 

                Considering that I didn't really have the colors I needed and had to mix and shade to achieve the desired effect, I'd say the coloring is pretty good.  With a little more work and a finishing seal, it will be posted for sale on one of my pages.  I'm still considering scribing something at the bottom.
          Mother says people aren't my thing and that I should stick to animals. She may be right but I'll keep trying here and there.  At least my people don't look like primates any longer.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

American Son

           I can't explain what inspired me to burn this piece.  It will be added to the Available Art section.  Currently, it is untitled.  At first I was thinking of, "The Rescue" but it doesn't catch me.  Something keeps telling me to call it something along the lines of "American Son" or "As Though You Were My Son".  As I burned it, I interpreted that the American Soldier is thinking of his newborn son, or toddler son, or even teenage son back home in America.  He and this Middle Eastern boy are complete strangers, yet there is some bond, some connection between the two. 

            I hope to color it with oil colors in short time, after I complete an order- so check back again soon and don't forget to comment.  This picture does not accurately catch the tones of the burn and there is some glare at the bottom.  I'll keep trying for better shots as I color it. 


            Oh, by the way, this picture is dedicated to all the servicemen of the United States of America.  I intentionally left room at the top and bottom to burn in the name, rank, division, and branch of the military of any serviceman.  I'm thinking of leaving each peice blank for the purchaser to specify, however, I may inscribe names of my own choice for some.


           I will also be listing two custom Breyer models to the One of A Kind page.  They were fun to do but I am running out of places to keep them.  I never found a name for the Sabino, who is as speckled as any paint lover could want him.  I honestly took over fifty photographs of this dude in various settings and lighting and could never get a good picture of him. 
          
           He never could accept outdoor lighting or flash because his white appeared way too brilliant in the picture.  In person, he has a very clean face and legs, with a speckled belly, groin, and sheath washcoated with pink for the skin showing through hair effect.  His nose is pinked as well as around the eyes.  The right eye is a beautiful blue and the left eye is brown mottled with blue.  I intented for him to be a red chestnut but as the paint dried he ended up a chocolate bay.  Still, a handsome fellow for your collection.

         
       While this one below may look like the oddest horse you've ever seen, I actually took his coat pattern off of a calendar page.  I believe the horse was a Lusitano Dun and possessed a very striking silver face.  This was my first custom model so I was not as experianced with the wash coat, however, he is still a handsome fellow. 
     
         I practised a little etching on the neck and there is a variance in the brown around his neck. His cheek and throat area is also roaned but it does not stand out too well.  While you can't see it very well in this picture, his right front pastern has a paint spot.  A beautiful white stripe that extends from the hoof to the lower leg.  It was roaned first so the spot has a feathery appearance.
         
       His name is Orin Adryel Aderet, an odd name to be sure but regal nonetheless.  I just call him Orin.  As I lay in bed the night after his completion I sounded out all sorts of names.  None seemed to fit. Then, one snapped.  Owren, Wren...Oren...Owrin...I muttered it several times.  What an odd name.  I didn't really think it was a name.  Until I looked it up.  Sure enough, one version is Welsh, another Gaelic, a third, Hebrew and so on.  The name has several meanings: light, pale, bald-faced, golden.  It fit.  So Orin it was.  I never call him by his full name, although somehow I can manage to remember it.  Somehow, I'd like to request that his name not be changed.

Friday, December 3, 2010

And Then I Changed My Mind

               And of course, in my sitting back and scutinizing I couldn't help feeling that something just wasn't quite right.  I shook the matte spray can a few more times, then set it down.  This is where the gutsy me comes out.  When I get that gut instinct that says, "Hold your horses, cowgirl.  You're going to make it or break it."  I know this is the moment where the artist sees something that isn't quite right, but fears that if he touches it, he'll ruin the masterpiece. 

                I'm not a daredevil person but I can say that I am pushed to do this in everything I do.  It just isn't good enough.  I can only remember one time when I broke it, though.  The rest of the time I make it.  Here is the sealed, finished, masterpiece.  I will find a name for her soon...or just enjoy her for a month and when I sell her, let her owner name her. 

                Somehow, that glowing white mane looked unfinished...like an old coat of primer.  Too eye catching, too gaudy.  Too much jewelry draw the eyes from the person.  Too much white pretty much distracted the viewer from her beauty.




A beautiful Buckskin/Sabino paint!  I wonder if I could consider her a splash because of the white up the legs and some on the belly?

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Equisite!

                
           Because I planned on using oils for this model I had to wait out a rainy day.  It was way too cold to venture out to clean my brushes and palette in mineral spirits and freezing water.  This morning, I remembered two acrylics Breyer had supplied me in two custom kits that I had left over from the previous kit models.  Some of the colors I hadn't used. 

           As I began mixing and meditating I found that I was not as set on a strawberry roan as I had before thought.  In fact, I was drawn to the gold.    In the picture below you can see the pink first coat partially covered by the primary first coat. 


            In the following photograph I made some headway and after several breaks in which I stood back to scrutinize my work I found that the gleaming white which nicely accentuated the lower legs and face, made her buttocks appear too large and...odd from certain angles.



          I found that a brown wash coat with a black wash coat over it made a beautiful tail.  Even though I was liking the palomino look I knew that what I really wanted was a buckskin paint.  Or even a Palomino/Buckskin paint.  I spent alot of time working with various washcoats to build the tones in the shading of the muscle and the legs.  There is also some washcoat work in the face which is darker than the rest of the body. 
         
       Here is the finished product, which has yet to be sealed.  She is Exquisitely gorgeous in my opinion and I will covet your opinions and comments on her.  Though I created her to sell, I must enjoy her for sometime.  She was a joy to create and the only real reward for an artist is the enjoyment and satisfaction. 

                                                       Here she is at several different angles.