We were lucky to catch up with Ben Stallman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ben thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

It all started at a tattoo shop. I had been an artist and illustrator for a while, but was somewhat aimless in terms of future goals, I was creating for pleasure to be able to use my art degree. I was in the tattoo shop to get my latest tattoo, and while my table was being set up, my tattoo artist was woodburning on a counter on the side. He was literally sitting there tattooing wood with such precision and detail I was blown away. I took woodburning in shop class in middle school, but that was with a clumsy soldering iron doing basic outlines. The detail and shading he was accomplishing with fine tipped tools was so inspiring, and totally flipped my idea of woodburning on its head. It didn’t have to be clunky, it could be detailed and beautiful.

A few weeks later, I moved to Maine and bought myself a kit as a reward and immediately fell in love. The mixture of working with different unique woods, monochromatic shading challenges, working with heat, and even the smell of the burning wood burning instantly caught me. I loved the pressure and feeling of achievement of it being completely permanent, one screw up or slip resulting in a lost piece or at least a major do-over. I spent years working to get to the level of detail my tattoo artist achieved. I tried out a lot of different styles, subject matters, and tools but have really honed in on fine tipped tools striving for maximum detail and reality.

It wasn’t without it’s hurdles though. I wish I had pushed myself even harder to find my niche, my specific style(s). I wish I had said no to some commissions I didn’t enjoy taking on, just to make a buck, which slowed down me pushing my own style and learning specific skills. However, in the time between commissions, I was really able to hone what I see as my signature highly detailed, finely illustrated style. I taught myself crucial shading skills, learning how to work with certain species of wood, and learning that it’s ok to fail as long as you are pushing yourself outside your comfort zone to find the limits of skill, size, and wood.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I referenced it a little bit in that first question, but really I was aimless art wise. I had illustrative skills honed through my art degree in college, but really did not have a creative practice, discipline, or goal, I would just create when I felt like it like some people journal. My degree was in drawing and photography, but with iPhones being so high quality today, I knew I had to love photography more than anything else in the world to want to pursue that avenue, and I didn’t. I hadn’t found that true art love yet. It wasn’t until I saw my tattoo artist woodburning an unreal classic car piece that I saw an avenue that not everyone was doing, something that could set me apart, allow me to work with my hands, and put something unique out to the world. I was instantly hooked.

I tooled around constantly with my woodburning kit when I first got it, trying out all sorts of different subjects, species of wood, and tool tips to try different shading, linework, and artistic techniques. It took about 4 years before I felt I found my first niche, creating large scale pieces of sweeping Maine and Texas landscapes, the two places I call home. I loved packing so much detail into a large piece of wood that people treat the finished piece like a “Where’s Waldo?” scenario, lingering and looking for a while as they pick out little details they didnt notice at first, tiny rock formations in the background, prickly pears popping up in little places, and fine line work they missed at first glance. That is what I find most satisfying! I am extremely proud of that, as well as proud of pushing the boundaries of woodburning, trying to keep pushing to get it respect as a fine art, up there with large drawings and illustrative works.

The second niche I found was blurring the lines of tattooing and woodburning. While I have no desire to actually tattoo skin, I love tattooing as an art form so much, and this allowed me an avenue to explore that. The similarities are striking. From working with a “canvas” that may be difficult, having unexpected bumps, curves, and ridges, to the permanence of the art form. Every stroke in wood burning is permanent, and so one slip or mess up can result in a total fail, having to start over. I love the pressure that brings, and the focus it requires, allowing me to slip into a state of peacefulness, blocking out all other things. Through trial and error, I found the style within tattooing I gravitated towards the most is the American Traditional Tattoo style, which is characterized typically by its bold lines, bright contrasts, and classic designs like roses, anchors, and the female form. Those subjects of flora, female figures, and aquatic elements fit right into my wheelhouse.

To sum it all up, I am proud of the boundaries I’ve pushed in detail with woodburn, as well as the size of pieces one can work while still encompassing all that detail and shading I’ve become known for.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This one is one I love talking about. While my degree is in art, like many art graduates, I had to find a steady job quick to start paying for massive student loans. I ended up in insurance, and while working with good people and working hard, I had no job fulfillment, or a clear way out. While a lot of days I felt like giving up, or accepting my fate, making a good pay check, and searching for fulfillment outside of work, I was determined to chase more. Call it foolish or idealistic, but I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that I needed fulfillment from my day job.

While I was fortunate enough to pivot after some years into a project management role at a marketing/advertising agency, it felt like more of the same, just with a digital advertising skin on it. I was just burnt out and had had enough. Through the unbelievable support of my partner, she helped me realize that just quitting was the best thing to do, and to pour myself fully into creating my art, taking all the commissions I could, and building out a design portfolio to get into the art world.

There were a lot of dark moments and days, but through the support and patience of her, incredibly long days busting my butt to build a portfolio I was proud of, and persistence, I landed a dream role doing graphic design for a sports apparel company in Austin. Getting able to create all day for a company I love, and create after work for myself, has left me the most fulfilled artistically I have ever been. I’m not ashamed to admit that this journey took 10 years, I feel even more proud for it to have paid off after that long a time. If even just one person reads this, and it helps them chase their artistic dreams, quit that job they hate, or just restore some belief that persistence pays off, I will feel immensely happy.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What drives me the most is changing people’s perceptions of wood burning. The most common story I get talking to fellow artists, patrons at galleries, or even gallery owners is “wow, I remember doing this in middle school but I thought that’s all it was. I never took it seriously as art”. I love that my work can change someone’s mind on an entire medium of creativity. It’s so motivating knowing if I pull of a piece, such as my large cactus burn, or my Chrome Kitty piece, that those pieces will completely change someone’s mind as to what’s possible, and leads to amazing conversations about process and my art journey. I love the conversations my work and art form can create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stallmanartworks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stallmanartworks/?hl=en