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.
I know it will sound just horrible of me to say that as a Senior I considered doing something like this but I did. And I didn't have the means to do it. But I will still give this guy all the credit because he had the talent to put this into an awesome video and on top of that, release it on 3/14/11!!
While the video may make you think "oh-kay....whatever." At the beginning wait until the circle begins to move faster. It's really neat. I always wondered what Pi would sound like...as a song! I will add that as a Senior...bored in Geometry class, I wondered that since Pi was a never ending number...I could create a potentially neverending song!
It would have been more exciting than neverending Geometry class anyway! Enjoy!
Sorry I do not have any updated pictures of my woodburnings posted. I had to take a day off because of a power outage caused by violent storms passing through, which also happened to spawn tornadoes in the area. I am also searching for temperature controlled pyrogaphy irons as I feel that in order to progress the quality and style of the art I will need...the real thing, and not some hobby iron.
Apart from that I am searching on what to do with an item I've held for a long time. I was walking a trail in the woods behind my house when I came across the belly piece pictured below leaned up against a tree on the side of the ATV trail. I didn't know what it was until I drew closer, and picking it up, continued on trying to solve the mystery of how it got there. A couple dozen yards farther south on the trail I found the top of the shell and the scale peices strewn around it. I don't know how it died and how it was left in such good shape...if you can call the missing shells good shape - but my past experience is that turtle shells will fall apart when left in water. Anyway, I could laquer it as is...or strip off the remaining shell pieces and paint it. I haven't made up my mind because I don't want to ruin it...and it's such a once in a lifetime find...I really don't want to sell it...unless of course...it's the right price.
I also plan on doing a book review on Hope Unseen by Captain Scotty Smiley. I never did hate doing book reports in school...but we wont call this a report. Thats sounds too constructive. This will be my own personal review...as if I'm somebody really important who everybody should listen to. (Grins) I might even post a youtube video of my review since initially I was going to share with my blog readers post by post about the book...but alas, pageviews have waned to almost ZERO! So, I will soon have a link of my review or a post, whichever I decide on.
Thanks for coming, checkback soon, and feel free to give me your ideas on that turtle shell.
I'm stalling on woodburning at the moment as the temptation to be outdoors in this lovely spring weather is TOO overwhelming for me. I'm still waiting on my Havalon scalpal to arrive in the mail and then I'll likely have some updates on my next taxidermy projects. But today, *happy dance*, my book arrived in the mail! And my four little precious peeps have been laying up a storm and provided me with a baker's dozen!!
Their eggs are actually quite large now, because they are Buff Orpingtons after all and they taste delicious! I have never enjoyed eggs more. They also make deserts such as brownies, cookies, cakes, etc blue ribbon quality.
Broody Babette is already over her broodiness. In fact, her comb quickly returned to its true red color, she dustbathed, and then as the hormone levels began to even out...she took all her frustration out on poor Dinah who she mercilessly bullied for the rest of the day!
I'm very excited about starting this book, and may do some reviews on it as I read. This book is a First Edition hard cover that I am proud to call my own and my fingers are just itching to turn every crisp leaf right now.
So...I will go now and soak in some sun while I enjoy my book...right now.
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Oh - one last comment. Don't forget to check out the video at the bottom. It should be dedicated to my cousin Timothy as the lyrics speak right from his heart.
Too good David! I love it. And yes people often ask to call my landline because our AT&T is so bad...yeah, Timothy's right.
I suspected the other day when I pulled Babette off the nest that she was going broody. I collect the eggs regularly, and there was only one egg under her at the time but she's a Buff Orpington, and only about 7 months old. This morning I noticed that only three hens came out of the henhouse so about lunchtime I go out and find Babette, seated squarely in the nest where she had been since last night!!
To the isolation pen she went! This of course is my first time dealing with a broody hen so it's a very new experience. I go suspicious first when I noticed the large amount of feathers left in the nest and suspected they were dropping from her crop. She is now completely bald there! A few hours later I go to check on her and find the pen empty. So I check the nest, and there she is! Now I have her locked up in a wire cage as others say that so long as she can't sit comfortably a few days in the wire cage should break her broodiness.
I wish I had some eggs to set under her but she's so young and I can't imagine what started it. I hope she gets over this quickly. I've been tickled to death by city folk who think hens wont lay eggs without a rooster around or wont get broody without a rooster around, etc. Surprising they don't think of a woman's timing or moodiness...with or without a man around.
But my girls are the best! I ran across some adorable saying the other day, "The rooster may rule the roost, but they don't call it a hen house for nothing!" and "The Rooster does all the crowing but the hen delivers the egg"
As for my portrait of the US solider holding the infant, I'm taking it slowly, plugging and unplugging my iron when the temperature gets too high or too low. I will be SO grateful when I get to invest in a temperature controlled iron!
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The piece is coming along quickly, although not as well as I had hoped. The wood grain of the oak is a little tricky as I'm new to burning on oak. This will be a good bit of practise for me, but I don't yet know how to improve it.
I am not entirely pleased with the expression on the soldier's face. The grain made it even harder to create. I think that if I had his mouth dome correctly it would help as the eyes can't get much better as I've burned and erased and burned again.
As hard to imagine as it was previously, this oak piece burned really quickly. I would love to invest in a temperature controlled iron VERY soon.
So if this piece fails I'll be sure to try again with a temperature controlled iron. I never give up. ...maybe I can fix that lip...
I'm am proud to announce that my Native American Talking stick has sold and I am sad to announce that I was not able to contact anyone about the herobracelet I found. I found that there are two completely unrelated James N Dyke's here in my town and the one I was looking for works at McConnel Automotive. Unfortunately, I could only find his work contact so I sent an email...but have had no reply.
As one last note, this is a patriotic piece that will go on the Special Edition page.
I am ecstatic as I announce the mapping out of an oak round. This tracing paper design only hints at what it will look like when it is finished. In fact, as soon as I am finished with this here post I shall be burning away!
I have also purchased several pieces of wood and a nifty little pine box that I will have ready to go in the near future. The pine box will be available for custom orders until I find something to burn on it. If I like how it turns out I may offer more on my Etsy shop.
This will be my first time burninging with oak wood. So I'm doubly challenging myself this time. Somehow, I'm not as nervous about doing people, but I'm probably going to pull hair as I work on this infant- you know how delicate they are. They are terribly impossible to portray delicately.
I'll have to keep the skin soft and smooth and the features light and rounded. I would feel more comfortable if I had the pampers of a nice temperature controlled iron, but that shouldn't be too much longer in coming. Since oak is a harder wood than cherry it should be easier to burn light.
I will be meditating on a name for this soldier...this father holding his newborn infant for the first time. Suggestions from newcomers, followers, and visitors welcomed.
I'm out to buy wood today and am very eager to get started on my next two portraits. I have various pieces of wood laying around my art table but none of them will do. The basswood bark doesn't fit the one picture while the shape does. The same basswood piece fits the other portrait but the size definitely does not. So I'm out on a hunt for hardwoods such as Cherry, Oak, and Pecan that will compliment these pieces. My biggest problems here will be size again. I could downsize the portraits...but I feel that they do need to be larger.
I thought about giving all you dear readers a spoiler and showing you the plans for my latest and greatest, but I feel that holding you in suspense just a little longer is okay. If time permits today, I will begin mapping the wood and even burning.
And in a few days my new Havalon Piranta blade should come in and I'll begin work on my taxidermy projects: making a panflute tote/carry case out of buck hide, and a deer foot coat/gun rack (that I will burn wildlife into the wood above).
One last note, I have opened up an Etsy shop which I will be listing my items on. My shop name is Licksoffire but I still go under my penname, Phoenix Pyrocreations. In the following weeks you'll be sure to see some of my work listed on Etsy and also displayed here.
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