Nature-inspired pyrography
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August Smoky Wood Studio Notes
Hi there Reader What August Looked Like in the Studio August felt like it burned fast and bright, a mix of new art, spooky whimsy, and fresh lessons in the Academy. Between hiking misty trails and working late nights with my wood burner, here’s what came to life this month: 52 Weeks of Fire: We explored Urban Chic, Garden Bloom, and Wildlife Portraits, each one pushing different textures and techniques. Whimsical Halloween Collection: The Pumpkin Mice, Candy Corn Critters, and Scarecrow...
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#007 - The Smoke Trail - Wood & Emotion - Grief
Hey there Reader, From the Trail: What the Trees Hold There’s a place off the path where the trees grow close, too close, almost, as if they’re holding each other up. I’ve gone there more times than I can count when grief has come through. The forest doesn’t rush sorrow. It doesn’t try to fix it. It just holds it. Wood has always done the same for me. When I burn during grief, I’m not making art, I’m marking something. Giving form to the invisible ache. Sometimes, burning is the only way I...
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#006 - The Smoke Trail - Pyrography & the Moon. Phases & Symbolism
Hey there Reader, From the Trail: The Moon Between the Trees I have a favorite spot on the ridge where the trees frame the night sky just right.Last fall, I sat there watching a waxing crescent rise. There was something about its quiet determination, small, growing, patient. It felt like the reminder I didn’t know I needed: not everything happens all at once. The moon teaches us that change isn’t linear. It waxes, it wanes, and even when it’s hidden, it’s still there. That’s why burning moons...
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#005 - The Smoke Trail - Burning Botanicals – Ferns & Flow
Hey there Reader, From the Trail: The Slow Unfurling Hiking the trails in the spring and see the ferns come back, is a nice reminder that growth isn't always noticeable. Ferns don’t rush.They unfurl one curl at a time, as if stretching after a long sleep. Watching them reminds me of how creative growth really works, quiet, steady, deliberate. One layer, one curve, one burn at a time. Ferns are ancient. They’ve been here longer than trees, longer than flowers. Burning them feels like etching a...
July Studio Notes: Fire, Flow & Summer Inspiration
Hi there Reader The July heat has been heavy, and honestly, I hit a wall earlier this month, and I know it isn't quite over yet. I sat down with my burner, stared at the wood, and felt… nothing. No spark. No excitement. Just tired. So, I went for an early morning trail walk with no agenda. Just listening to birds, smelling the wet earth, and letting my mind wander. My dogs sure did appreciate that. If you’re feeling stuck, maybe try this: step away. Touch the dirt, breathe the air, then...
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#004 - The Smoke Trail - Texture with Trees
Hey there Reader, From the Trail: Reading the Bark Some trails you walk. Others, you read. There’s a grove of old white oaks near my favorite loop, huge, gnarled things with bark like topographic maps. When I slow down and trace them with my eyes, I can almost feel the years. Storms survived. Seasons layered. Time is recorded in ridges and furrows. That’s what I love about burning trees. They hold their stories in texture. And when we burn them, not just outlines, but texture and grain, we’re...
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#003 - The Smoke Trail - Tool Talk – Spoon Tips
Hey there Reader, From the Trail: Smoothing the Edges There’s a part of the trail I return to every season, a bend where the path smooths out and the wind always seems to catch the leaves just right. No sharp edges. Just a kind of quiet flow. That’s how I think of the spoon tip. When I first started wood-burning, I avoided it. It looked big, clunky, like something I’d mess up with. I thought detail was everything. But the spoon tip taught me about grace in pyrography. It’s not just a tool,...
Big Changes Inside Pyrography Academy (and a chance to win!)
Hey there Reader, We’ve got something fresh, fiery, and way more fun happening at Pyrography Academy, and I wanted you to be the first to know. What’s Changing? We're streamlining and simplifying how the Academy works: You'll now get 1 new pattern + 1 new tutorial every month Exclusive behind-the-scenes content (think: studio life, tool tips, and more) A space for community connection And best of all… Our New Monthly Burn & Win Giveaway! Every single month, you can enter to win just by...
How Fire Became My Teacher: The Lessons I’ve Learned from Burning Wood
Hey there Reader, I didn’t set out to become an artist. When I first picked up a wood burner, it wasn’t some grand creative vision. A way to stay steady when everything around me felt like it was falling apart. There’s something raw about holding heat in your hand and using it to make something beautiful. It felt like the only thing I could control. One line at a time. But the fire had its own lessons in mind. At first, I thought pyrography was about precision, how straight my lines were, how...
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#002 - The Smoke Trail - Symbol of the Feather
Hey there Reader, From the Trail: When I Found a Feather I was halfway up the trail, hot and frustrated, when I spotted it, just resting there on a patch of moss. A small, white feather, perfectly still despite the breeze. I’d been second-guessing myself all morning: my art, my direction, even my reason for hiking. But the feather stopped me. It felt like a whisper: “You don’t have to carry it all.” Feathers don’t try to hold onto things. They float, they shift, they fall. And somehow, they...
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