It is Keizer Art Association's privilege and distinct pleasure to honor Barb Fromherz as our Artist of the month. Barb is an accomplished and recognized pyrography artist.

The art of Pyrography, or woodburning, has exploded in the last twenty-five years due primarily to new precision tools, prominent international teachers, and marketing. The goal of Pyrography as an art form is to burn a wood surface to create a pleasing image with dimension and texture. This is done with a burning tool, much like a pencil, using different tips and temperatures. The sepia tones created on the wood surface then can either be sealed, or colored and sealed. It is an art form that gives the novice an instant feeling of success, but also allows for years of learning the intricacies of the process.

I started my woodburning journey in 2017 at the Northwest Carving Academy in Ellensburg, Washington. Five days with mentor Donna Miller gave me a foundation in using different tips and temperatures, and in techniques of texturing and shading. My last eight years of growth in this art form have been through classes, several excellent books, and good old trial and error. U Tube can be a great visual learning tool, although it is not at the top of my hit parade.

For me Pyrography is both a form of meditation and a constant form of problem solving. Wood is an organic surface and must be respected as that. The burning must be revised or redesigned as the wood calls for it. As I continually learn new techniques, I move to more complicated patterns. That is part of the challenge and part of the fun!

You can see Barb's art in the KAA Gallery throughout the month of January