Mixed Media is not an unusual concept. Pyrography is a medium
that has often been combined with others. In Latin America, however,
pyrography was developed as a stand-alone decorative art medium
that draws inspiration from other media
Quetzal Bird Clock
Quetzal Clock Pyrograph by Kathleen MenÈndez, Design &
Photograph by Sharon Garvey Inspired by Mayan stellae, Mayan glyphs
(in the place of the clock's numbers), and the beautiful quetzal,
exotic inhabitant of the PetÈn jungle and the Guatemalan
national symbol of freedom
"Pirograbado" they called it when I went to visit
a recently opened academy of art in Guatemala City back in 1975.
I was looking at a little armoire, maybe 16 inches high. It looked
like ivory inlaid in a dark wood and vaguely reminded me of decorative
art objects I had seen in other parts of the world.
That visit had started as only a social call, at the invitation
of a good friend, Lourdes De la Riva, who wanted to make me feel
welcome in Guatemala and to show me her academy, the business
venture that she and her sister Carmela Flores had started. This
armoire she was showing me was woodburning as I had never known
it could be-and my imagination took flight. I'd seen enough-I
signed up for classes on the spot. It was two years later before
I had attended classes in all of the courses they had on that
subject. By then I knew I wanted to take those marvelous techniques
back to the United States.
Pyrography is the translation in English of pirograbado, and it
is known by a similar name in many languages. (Back then, though,
I'd never heard that archaic word. It was years later when that
term came back into popular usage in the United States.)
The Navarro Pyrocarver shown
with samplers pyrocarved by Kathleen Menendez
Photograph by Sharon Garvey
Over fifty years ago, a Mexican named Pascual
Navarro saw a simple electrical pyrography tool in France and
returned to Mexico to set about manufacturing an improved, temperature-controlled
version of that tool for use in Mexico and eventually for export
to other countries in Latin America and the United States, as
well. It is the same tool (with further improvements) that was
being used in Guatemala when I learned pyrography in the seventies,
and the same one (with still further improvements) that is in
use there still as the required equipment for the course work.
Back in the late seventies, I soon realized as I started my plans
for showing the pyrographic techniques in the States that I would
have to take the Navarro Pyrocarver with me, too, because, at
that time, I found nothing available in the States but toy woodburning
sets and a rudimentary tool that made use of a lightbulb for temperature
control.
History of the Pyrographic Techniques. It was about thirty-five
years ago when Pascual's son Enrique Navarro collaborated with
a Mrs. Jarano to develop the pyrographic techniques that were
to become so popular and so recognized in Mexico-a country rich
in art and architecture, folklore, dance, and song-that they have
been incorporated in the curriculum of many decorative art and
other schools there, and, as we have seen, even in other countries.
The techniques I learned at that Guatemalan academy of art were
brought there by the two sisters who are naturalized Guatemalans,
originally from Mexico.
Mexico and the rest of Latin America have a population mix that
parallels that of the United States and Canada, but with different
proportions (from the States and from each other). In Mexico and
Guatemala, for example, the indigenous population is still very
much a pervasive presence, while the European population still
regards Europe as a cultural role model. Despite this, a new native
population with a curious mix of both and a sprinkling of later
immigrant populations has created a strong national tradition
and culture blended yet distinct from its original elements.
The pyrographic techniques developed in Mexico reflect a great
admiration for, and interest in, the rich European heritage of
decorative arts, fine woodworking, and furniture design, and,
by inference, the Asian influence from which those were inspired
in great part so many centuries ago.
The courses started with one called Pyrotextures, which is the
basic beginner technique where the student learns to use the tool
to make lines, do shading, and use texture to make full use of
the tool with its basic three points. The textures can be in the
background (as I will mention later) or the foreground (see the
textured pattern that makes up the design of the cat sampler,
adapted from a centuries old Russian woodblock, shown in the picture
with the Pyrocarver), or combined with other techniques as we
will see later. Often the students work in designs typically associated
with pyrography at this level. The Pyrotextures technique is very
beautiful unto itself. Many pyrographers use pyrography alone
in some or all of their work.
The second technique teaches traditional designs and uses line
and color (stain, not paint) for a look of wood inlay and adds
shading to that for a marquetry look. The design dictates the
procedure needed: Geometric patterns do not require shading; organic
patterns do. (A traditional Italian wood inlay design-with no
shading-is on the middle sampler in the picture of the Pyrocarver.)
The third technique has more steps and employs traditional designs,
line, stain, paint, finish, and pen work for a look ofivory or
bone inlay.
The fourth technique recreates the look of a ceramic tile inlaid
in wood.
At the same time, these techniques, of which I have mentioned
only the first ones, in their beauty and flexibility lend themselves
to interpretations of enormous variety.
Once you've worked in some of the techniques, you will come to
realize that the combinations can be rearranged to suit just about
anything, and that realization comes in very handy by the time
you "learn" your way to the technique called Folkloric,
which ultimately might call for almost anything. The examples
in this article are a reflection of just that and illustrate two
points I have discussed here: The techniques can be combined and
adapted as needed.
The techniques can interpret any type of look the pyrographer
wishes. Although they were primarily designed to interpret European
decorative arts, they have been used, as seen in the pyrographs
shown here, to interpret designs from many parts of the world.
The class for Folkloric in Spanish is named Oleos, Tintas, y VinÌlicas
which literally means Oils, Stains, and Acrylics. I renamed it
Folkloric for different reasons, but the original name does emphasize
one important aspect-the use of different kinds of color and color
combinations. The class focused on some well-known traditional
decorative folk art like Scandinavian rosemahling designs and
combined those with pyrography. Color was applied in different
combinations. (It is important to make the distinction between
stains and paints: Stains are transparent and allow both the burned
line and the wood grain to show through the color; paints are
opaque and cover both the pyrocarved line and the wood grain.)
I later did samplers to illustrate this technique:
I took a simple Pennsylvania Dutch symmetrical pattern of mirror-image
birds and
flowers and repeated the identical burned outline on each of three
identical round wood plaques.
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On the first plaque, I painted the birds and flowers in rich oil paints, left the background wood natural, and then finished the plaque with a clear matte lacquer. |
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On the second plaque, I stained the plaque with a dark green stain, sealed the plaque, then painted the birds and flowers in bright acrylics, and finished the plaque with a clear lacquer (See Pyrograph 2 above, sampler in back). |
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On the third, I painted the whole plaque with an acrylic white paint, then painted the birds and flowers in bright acrylics, then finished with a high gloss lacquer (if you have been visualizing these changes, you have noticed that this last has covered up the woodburned outline altogether--only the texture is left, and the woodburned "line or groove" separating the design elements is white rather than dark. |
Mayan NobleAs among most pyrographers, the general preference for these
techniques is for woods that are very white, with little grain.
This is so particularly when using techniques that require very
perfect line work (easier on wood with little grain) and very
transparent colors (colors will appear truer on whiter woods).
Since many pyrographers may not make their own unfinished wood
pieces, they may not be able to choose their wood of preference,
and may be confronted with a less than desirable wood to decorate.
In some cases, pyrographers might be working on an old, possibly
antique piece of furniture that has been stripped of previous
finishes. Very hard woods present a challenge, but working with
a hotter point, a steady, firm (but definitely not heavy) hand,
and a good measure of patience can overcome that obstacle. Sometimes
it is advisable to let the wood dictate the technique to be employed,
since some techniques lend themselves to more adaptability, particularly
those that use a painted background that could cover flaws in
a defective piece and even make something strikingly handsome
out of a piece that might otherwise have been discarded.
Monogrammed Box
Pyrograph by Kathleen M. Garvey MenÈndez inspired by a
blackwork embroidery motif Photograph by Sharon Garvey
The pyrocarved monogrammed box above is a good example of working
to find the right design for the style of the piece, appropriate
techniques for the type or condition of the wood, and something
pleasing for the client or recipient of the gift. It is also a
good example of how to adapt designs from other sources. Following
is how it came about:
I found an old English Leather wood box in the attic and peeled
off the old label. The square box had darkened somewhat, but under
the label the wood was much lighter. I always make the pattern
to fit the piece exactly first, so I made my pattern of the top
and another for one side. After folding the tracing paper to find
the center and make equal parts, and placing it back onto the
box, I discovered that the label (and now the light area) had
actually been a bit crooked, so I realized that I would have to
accommodate that problem, too. In planning my composition, I decided
to take advantage of the two wood colors, that, without staining,
had been created naturally by the label. Since this box was already
destined for a particular person, who had rather nice initials,
I decided to use the lighter center to do a nice monogram. I went
to a calligraphy book (pattern source no. 1) and found a letter
type in a very nice size and picked out the three I needed. That
was easy. Then I did a little straight border with a pattern from
I'm not sure where (pattern source no. 2-or possibly I made it
up) going around the light patch. By making it just thick enough,
it covered the slightly crooked line and straightened out my center
light patch. After that I wanted just one pattern to go over the
entire box, since it was small and I wanted to keep the look simple.
In a book I had picked up on Elizabethan blackwork embroidery
(yes, EMBROIDERY-who would have thought?) I found a handsome geometric
pattern (pattern source no. 3) of straight lines already in a
size appropriate to the proportion of the box (about a 7-inch
square). The pattern was just a little section repeated maybe
a few times, but by using my folded tracing paper, I could center
it perfectly, trace a quarter of my pattern from the book, moving
it over the original to connect to where I had left off and adding
piece by piece until I had finished a quarter. Then I proceeded
to trace the other three quarters from the first one now completed
on my tracing paper pattern by folding back to back. (This explanation
is more apparent if you have the piece of paper in front of you.)
Once completed, I simply taped the tracing paper perfectly in
place on my piece, slid a piece of single-use carbon paper underneath,
and took my Pyrocarver dotter point, turned the heat on minimum
temperature, and went over my tracing. With the design now copied
onto my box, I burned in the pattern all over the top. (I did
the same for the sides.)
Next came the color decision. I knew I wanted to keep it simple.
I already had two wood colors and decided to use woodburned shading
in alternate sections of the pattern to give a third wood color
and add dimension to the geometry. Last, I decided to take advantage
of a small diamond pattern in the center of the geometry to make
it look as though I had inlaid turquoise stones and bone in the
wood. Using white acrylic and a couple of different blues and
turquoises, I made a mixture of colors and painted every other
little diamond a nice, but different turquoise color. That is,
I did not just mix one color, but varied the turquoise slightly,
the way it would be if you had actual pieces of the stone to inlay-irregular
in color from one to the next. I also outlined the initials in
pyrography but filled them with the turquoise color, and did a
little turquoise in the small border around the initials, too.
In a similar manner, I alternated with bone color as seen in the
picture.
Letter Holder (Front and Back
Views) Pyrograph by Kathleen M. Garvey Menendez Inspired by traditional
African motifs & symbols Photograph by Sharon Garvey
Since these decorative art techniques draw from other decorative
art forms such as wood inlay, marquetry, ivory inlay, ceramic,
ethnic art, etc., they are naturally suited to many of the classical
decorative arts designs, and from there, the sky's the limit.
Once you start working in these ways, you will realize that there
are all sorts of designs all around you, and if you work out your
designs on tracing paper, you can adapt them perfectly to your
plaque, box, clock face, or furniture. I recently spoke to the
Northern Virginia Carvers on this subject, and I brought with
me a ton of books (other than books on pyrography) from my own
collection to give them an idea of the scope of what I was talking
about. Following is an example of a simple adaptation and my own
interpretation:
I once was commissioned to do a design for a serving cart that
was Spanish colonial in style and going to be used in a house
of that style. For inspiration, I went to a book of antique Spanish
furniture; however, the designs I borrowed from that source were
not directly from the furniture pieces illustrated, but rather
from the hinge, lock and key patterns drawn there. I combined
a series of those hardware patterns into an unusual geometric
pattern, stained them a verdigris color to suggest metal, and
left the wood behind them light with no stain.
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The woodburning part of a project is the first step and is
always done on a sanded, clean surface. The finish is very important
for most of these techniques. In fact, with some, it is essentially
part of the technique. Since these decorative art techniques have
various steps, often the wood sealer and lacquer are intermediate
steps as well as a final finish after the completion of the project.
The finish to be used for a given technique is described within
the technique itself. The sealers and lacquers can vary and are
dictated by the look defined in a particular technique as well
as compatibility with the stains or paints used in that technique.
Often the difference is simply that between matte and gloss finishes.
In some cases, a yellowed look is desirable; in others, it might
require crystal clear and high gloss. The finishes available today,
which require fewer coats and are less problematic than the ones
incorporated in the original techniques, can reduce the work and
the time involved in most projects. Familiarity with new products
can often provide new ideas to simplify a process.
It is incredible that pyrography remains so obscure. There
has, nevertheless, been a renewed interest of late in the English
speaking countries of the world, as evidenced in the number of
tools and books presently on the market. In Mexico, as well, a
new wave of enthusiasts has emerged. It is our hope that the pyrography
displayed in each issue of the e-zine will prove a beacon to other
pyrographers and artists who would like to try their hand at this
art form.
As an update to last issue's postscript on the subject of gathering
a wide array of pyrographic art work for a museum on the internet:
In further e talks with "PyRomanian" Dino Muradian as
well as with that "Mad Pyro from Down Under" Mixo Sydenham,
a collaborative effort and more ideas are under way for both the
collection of pyrography as well as a center where pyrographic
artists can sell their work and exchange ideas.
So, if you would like to contribute (in scanned photographic form)
your own, an antique, or someone else's pyrographic work worthy
of being displayed as part of the permanent e-collection in the
illustrious e-halls of the E-Museum of Pyrographic Art, and if
you have other pieces you would like to submit for sale (by way
of a display in scanned photographic form) in the charming Pyro
Cafe, la International housing the prestigious Gallery of Pyrographic
Art, please keep watching this column for more details as we establish
a place and guidelines for the world's first E-museum and E-gallery
of pyrographic art. -Kathleen Menendez
An article on the upside-down pyrography of Australian "Pyro"
Mixo Sydenham and the Australian pyrography movement
Links to more homepages and other sources of interest to pyrographers,
including Dino Muradian's homepage and this author's
Les d'cors de One Man's Land.
Very interesting web site: Computer- generated paintings inspired
by b/w photography, color, and pyrography-In keeping with the
theme of this issue, another illustration of one medium or technique
being the inspiration for another: http://www.imaginet.fr/~giraf1/peinture.html
The Complete Pyrography by Stephen Poole.
A nice book on pyrography of the type usually seen. Although "complete"
seems a bit presumptuous, Chapter 6 is a particularly useful reference
for a wide variety of pyrotextures.
Last Issue:"Pyrography: Fine Art"
Interview with Dino Muradian and illustrations of his remarkable
pyrographed portraits.
Next Issue:"Pyrography: Folk Art"
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Pyrograph by Kathleen Menendez, Design & Photograph by
Sharon H. Garvey adapted from a pair of US postage stamps depicting
Pueblo Indian pottery from the southwestern United States |
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The Author/PyrographerKathleen M. Garvey Menendez learned her pyrography techniques in Guatemala. Her sister, Artist Sharon H. Garvey later joined her there to collaborate on a pyrography project designed to promote this art form in the United States. Sharon designed and later photographed many of the pieces in their collection and Kathleen executed most of them. They worked together planning each piece in the collection, usually three at different levels of difficulty to exemplify each technique. Their goal was not to sell their art work, but to promote the art of pyrography in the United States, with the sample pieces, a didactic book, and the Navarro Pyrocarver. |
Sharon H. Garvey, like her sister, is a native of Washington, D.C. and grew up in nearby Falls Church, Virginia. She graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from Notre Dame and a Masters from St. John's College in Santa Fe, NM. She seemed the perfect choice to be the one to illustrate the versatility of the pyrographic art form and the wide variety of decorative techniques for it, since she has distinguished herself in so many unusual art media, such as exquisitely painted eggs, innovative cake sculpture, and the remarkable jack-o'-lanterns for which she has become famous as the Pumpkin Lady of Harpers Ferry, where she presently resides with her husband, Tim Wisecarver. She is presently doing the illustrations for a soon-to-be-published book on the Appalachian Trail by their father, the renowned Ed Garvey.