The Halo Picture

            I suppose there are many people who know about The Halo Picture as it is called, of a Pillar of Fire hanging over the head of Preacher William Marrion Branham in the Sam Houston Colossium in Houston TX.  The photograph was taken in January 1950 and authenticated by FBI examiner George J. Lacy. 

            If you are not familiar with this story you may read more about it at this link: (among others)

http://www.messagequotes.8m.net/halophoto.htm

           I was commissioned to burn it in October of 2010 (and feeling more comfortable burning human portraits...still a little uneasy about burning deity) and obtained copyright permission this March.  I have until March of 2012 to burn this photograph on wood and would like to make several special edition portraits available.  Because the actual print in it's origional form and colored as well is readily available I do not feel that I could sell high quality giclee prints of a single burning. 

         Therefore (since it requires an amount of time, talent, and effort to create many individual burnings ...artists generally don't like to burn the same thing over and over and over and over again - in short doing this would be too costly for the average person who wants it to afford it) I plan on only burning two or three.

           We will see how the first comes out.  I can now be found and followed on Facebook, again special thanks to my protective father, and I will continue to post updates on Facebook and my blog (so that some of you who were like me a while back - facebokless, can still follow.)

           I have already begun burning and hope to move along quickly (I hate the thought of boring my followers).  Thankyou for coming!  Please visit again soon when I will have posted pictures of my progress.

The Pictures Do Not Do it Justice!

I am proud and pleased to announce that my first special edition first portrait is now complete!!  I am pleased with the way it turned out although I know there is plenty of room for improvement and as I continue to turn out this special edition portrait of the prophet it will look even better.  I am posting it on my special edition page where it will be available for sale, signed as a first piece by me.  

While I stock up on cherry wood and perhaps even oak and pecan on which I can create this special edition piece I will begin looking for the perfect piece of wood to portray my next special edition piece on.  While I plan to do a Cowboy at the Cross piece I also have in mind and heart to portray a patriotic piece as well.  SO little time and so much inspiration.  But it is better this way for often it is the other way around, when I had so much time and a lack of inspiration.  Details for these upcoming special edition portraits will be put in upcoming posts so check back soon!

I am excited about starting them and eager to get going!!  Please follow my blog and thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate comments even from one-time visitors.   

Portrait Almost Complete

          After a bit more work I am nearing completion on this wonderful portrait.  I am slowly gaining confidence working with people and may in time move on to other subjects.  The shading on the left lapel and shoulder part of the suit is only begun and I may spend time touching up other areas as I go. 

           I will also fine tune the eyes and make them stand out a little more.  I can't wait to purchase more cherry wood pieces and burn many other interesting subjects on them!  I am also currently looking into leather to burn on and may soon offer some one of a kind leather canvas originals. 

          I am very pumped because as soon as this piece is complete I want to work on another great portrait that I lead sketched some time ago.  It will be more exciting because it involves a person and an animal.  It will be a Western theme, Cowboy at the Cross series.

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A Portrait TOO Great for Me

              I have long contemplated this portrait, and it keeps pressing upon me.  So even though I risk failure, I would also forfeit my chance of success if I shied away from it.  I had to do it.  And while I waited months for approval and response about a copyright, I decided to try my hand at sketching my own poses of this great man.  After many failures at the sketchbook...I have conceived an acceptable representation. 

             Again, I am toying with failure.  It's like playing with fire.  I hate failure.  But I know that if I fail this time and keep trying, perhaps one day I will be able to do pyrographic portraits and this one will be my all time favorite. 

             I have studied many pictures of Brother William Branham, those out of the Messenger Book Sister Rebekah put together and some various ones I found laying around.  One was on the cover of an item older than the cassette tape itself.  A large single reel of magnetic tape- not sure what it was called.  Oddly enough, though I have been able to look at portraits and somewhat decently portray people I couldn't capture the character in the eyes of this man, and thought perhaps the portrait was too over my head.  Perhaps I don't yet have the ability.  However, while listening to one of his sermons, I was able to sketch out the design used in my next piece on a piece of cherry wood.  

            I hope to make these readily available in One of A Kind pieces, Available Art Pieces, and Special Edition Portrait pieces in all different forms on all different pieces of wood.  However, this first one has to be a masterpiece first.  

            I failed to take pictures of it in sketched form but you can see my progress in burning.  I started with the eyes...and was quite unsatisfied so I sanded them clean again and started over.  Still unsatisfied so I repeated the process at least four times until I got what you see above. 

             I realize that if I fail I will at least have had practice with my shading, although cherry wood is somewhat expensive, more so than basswood.  These cherry wood pieces burn very easily, almost as easily as basswood, and burn a nice red color.  I cannot wait to burn many more of them.  

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