My husband and I have called the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan home for over 17 years. In order to draw and create pyrography of nature it is wonderful to be able to live in natural surroundings. We live on a lake adjacent to Federal land so I am literally surrounded by nature. I've always lived in the country. Take me to a city and I'm totally lost!
I am an experienced, professional pyrographer. So far my work has always been of animals, birds, and fish in their natural surroundings. I hope, in the near future, to add some farm animals, buildings, and (gasp) people to my list. I didn't start my business doing pets, but through requests for dog and cat portraits, I have come to really enjoy doing them also.
I have sold hundreds and hundreds of pieces of pyrography and 95% of them have been worked with color added. In my experience, most people really like the colored woodburnings and prefer them to the monochrome style. Needless to say, I go through a lot of Prismacolor colored pencils!
Each product you see for sale is my own original and each piece is signed.
Basically, the process for creating my woodburning is this:
I make an original drawing of a subject.
I transfer my own drawing to whatever piece of wood I will be using.
Using my transfer as a guide, the subject is woodburned in fine and meticulous detail including fur, feathers, scales, etc. Often as not, I expand upon my original drawing during the woodburning.
Time to add the color using the colored pencils. I have a really nice color "sense" and I use a lot of blending and shading. You might be surprised at the number of different shades and tones I use on any individual piece.
Not done yet. The work has to be sealed and protected. I use three coats of semi-gloss acrylic finish on all surfaces of the wood. That ensures that my customers can enjoy the piece for years to come.
Because of the high color I use, my work is often mistaken for painting. The whole look of the piece is defined, however, by the woodburning, or pyrography. It is very unique. For me, guidance comes not only from what I love to do but also what my customers really enjoy!
Once I have made the original drawing of my subject, I am able to transfer that drawing to as many pieces of wood as I want or need. For example, the raccoon ornament can be duplicated from that same original drawing indefinitely. If this weren't the case, you would have to pay much more for each ornament. That's why I charge more for pet portraits. I cannot duplicate them. Each individual woodburned item is its own one-of-a-kind work from an original drawing.
Here's something else I'd like to tell you. I can use my original drawing of that raccoon, or any other drawing I do, and put it on a refrigerator magnet, or a box, etc. So if you see something you like on, say, a bark round but would like it on an ornament, that can be done.
Special requests are always welcome. You will need to e-mail me for a quote in price. This includes requests for pet pyrography. If you have a favorite species of bird, mammal, or fish that you don't see listed, let me know. Chances are I can create it for you.
When you place an order through the shopping cart, I will create your order just for you. I would love to have all items immediately available for you but since I am a one-woman-show, that's just not possible. However, I will create your order for you as quickly as I can. Usually I can complete an order in one day to one week and ship your package as soon as I receive payment. Certain times of the year are very busy. Be sure to order early for Christmas. Any orders placed after December 10th are not guaranteed to be delivered in time. If time becomes a problem, consider ordering a gift certificate.
Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions at all at erwoodnart@copper.net
Thank you for visiting. I hope you will come back again.
Eleanor Rickey
130 N. Hagerman Lake RD
Iron River, MI 49935
906-265-3147
erwoodnart@copper.net
