Artists Statement

Artist's Statement

MEDIUM: Pyrography; pencil & charcoal

I have been involved in art most of my life but it was not until recovering from a major personal challenge that I discovered my true passion for art in the form of pyrography. I started oil painting at the age of 13 and continued painting until a breakdown caused by stress from my job forced me to give up my career and all interest in art. It was not until 8 years later with the help of my husband and my new golden retriever, Max, that I began healing and my interest in art was renewed in the form of woodburning (pyrography). Max and pyrography became the keys to my Nedra Denison personal recovery and the beginning of a new life. The healing process turned my life around and my focus and passion in art was changed forever.

I am a self-taught pyrographic artist and use a technique that I refer to as my “smooth shading technique”. I always loved old sepia-toned photos and my goal was to use pyrography to create natural, lifelike sepia-toned art. Working with wood gives more meaning to my work because of the aesthetic quality—the feel of the grain and smell of the wood as it is burning. The inspiration behind my work comes from my life experiences and having lived in New Mexico and the Northwest for many years, I fell in love with the Southwest Native American culture and the flora and fauna of the great northwest. My personal challenges have helped me to grow, view life differently than before and as a result I have begun doing portraits again and I believe it has helped me to bring the “breath of life” into my portraits making them come alive, something I was never able to accomplish in the past.

Unlike painting or drawing where you don’t have to think too much about what type “canvas” to use, working with wood requires a “connection” between the idea and the wood. I might have a project in mind and have to find just the right piece of wood that will make the design work. Sometimes I have no idea what I want to do but I have a great piece of wood so I let the wood talk to me. My goal is to make my burnings look natural, lifelike and to come alive on my “canvas”. There are times when I get a block and can’t quite figure out what I want to do, but when things connect I am filled with passion and my work just seems to flow. My dad used to call that “artistic temperament”.

With my interest in art continuing to grow, so has my desire to experiment with other mediums. My latest interest is charcoal and graphite pencils and I have been experimenting with a variety of subjects and themes. My first masterpiece was a portrait of a sheltie, Harley who is now proudly hanging on the wall in our living room.

Nedra Denison