I’m a woodburning artist who has a background in painting and drawing–having these two skills as my foundation has been the key to my success through the medium. I grew up in a super artistic family; I was constantly exposed and immersed in the art world which led to earning an undergrad degree in scenic painting at the Design and Production School at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC and then traveling to Bournemouth, England for a year to gain a Master’s Degree in 3D Animation. I believe both experiences pushed my drawing and composition skills. Even my story-telling capabilities when looking at a piece of wood–studying the grain and movement and making sure to enhance and not compete with what is already provided. I started out with safe, plain grains such as basswood and poplar, barely sanding the pieces before starting, and I sealed with a thick shellac sealer. After meeting some amazing wood workers, reading articles, and building relationships with saw mills, I now find live-edge beauties with incredible grains, colors, and character. Cherry, black walnut, cedar, ambrosia maple, spalted pecan, box elder… I’m learning so much about each species of wood and how it burns. I sand them down from 60 grit to 320 so they are as smooth as butter when my woodburner glides across the surface, and I seal with a nice satin sealer. The biggest obstacle stopping me from learning more was commitment–jumping from a side hobby to a job. The moment it becomes a job, you must push yourself and invest which leads to way more doors.

I’m a 28 year-old woodburning artist and illustrator. I gained my undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in scene painting at the Design and Production School in 2018 and from there I jumped across the pond to Bournemouth, England to receive my Masters in 3D Animation at Bournemouth University. I returned to America in the fall of 2019 with barely a dime in my pocket and the expectation to move to California to work at an animation studio. The culture shock of returning, the financial woes, and the degrading application process where non-paying internships were the only jobs hiring with my experience led me to get a housekeeping job at the Biltmore. This was a huge bump in my road and self-confidence and then 6 months later the world shut down from Covid-19. At the time, I was completely defeated and had no plans as I did odd and end jobs–I painted houses, installed flooring, did some sheetrock work… then I picked up my woodburner. I did it as a hobby while I was in undergrad but thought nothing of it and hadn’t touched the tool for over a year but slowly and steadily, it began to consume me. I began to illustrate for two companies as well, moved to a smaller town with cheaper rent, sold small woodburnings at a local gift shop, and got a part-time job to meet people and have a safety net financially, but it wasn’t until art fairs came into the picture that my woodburning world blew up. Through the shows I have met other wood workers, sawmill owners, mentors, and a target audience. I create landscapes, wildlife, and scenes on slabs of unique wood–not one piece is the same and literally can’t be as the wood is the canvas; a grain and movement that can never be replicated. I make wallhangings, benches, table tops, and charcuterie boards. I don’t use any computers, lasers, or projectors; I hand-draw and hand-burn each piece which is something I’m most proud of as I study each pieces’ attributes and character and try to enhance the story the wood has already started telling. I have to listen and never compete.