Pyrography by Julie Bender

Atlanta-based artist Julie Bender uses pyrography (the art of drawing with heat) to creates these beautiful portraits of nature and animals.

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Pyrography, the art of burning or scorching on a natural surface was an art form practiced since the dawn of recorded time by Egyptian and African tribesmen fascinated by the mysterious beauty and power of fire.

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Julie creates these amazing works in a gorgeous sepia color, infusing the heat on a smooth wooden surface.

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She begins the artistic process by compiling photographs and penciling her subjects on a well-sanded piece of maple surface with a keen sense of composition and attention to wood grain.

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"I prefer maple wood as it is a hard wood with subtle grain and creamy-light background. Its hardness causes the wood to burn more slowly than softer woods, thus allowing me to have more control and precision when I burn."
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Julie uses a small selection of burn tips, tiny enough to allow her to burn through her artworks with precision. It’s a slow process that requires slow burning while building layers gradually. She finds her personality well-suited for the challenge of this exigent art form as well as the extreme patience and considerable time that is required of her work.

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"I use a series of 'pens' or 'tools' that fit like a pen or stylus in the hand. They are built to contain various shapes and sizes of tips to give off different affects or marks."
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"As I ‘paint with heat,’ I feel a certain parallel between the wild and natural spirits that embody my subjects and the organic and distinctively unforgiving nature of my medium."
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"This unusual medium still has me marveling over the fact that my subjects may be brought to life solely by applying heat to wood."
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Her realistic wildlife portraits commanded between £1,000 to £4,000 depending on size.

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She stumbled upon her talent ten years ago when she decided to start burning pictures into wood.

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"I ended up going to a hobby store and picking up a cheap wood burner, and it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would and I haven't been able to put it down since. "
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"I prefer burning paper to wood, but when you have something on wood it's very beautiful, the grain is a big part of my work but you do not have to explain it when using paper."

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"How long they take depends on the size and complexity, it takes me from a couple of weeks to a few months per piece."



Check her website: http://www.juliebender.com/

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