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| Maple Leaves by Dumitru (Dino) Muradian Pyrographed maple leaves cascading down a "Dusty Strings" harp Photograph by the artist |
Dumitru (Dino) Muradian is already well known in art circles, since his story and remarkable pyrographic portraiture were featured in various publications including Fine Woodworking Magazine and the premier issue of the WWWoodc@rver E-Zine.
Besides his pyrographed portraits on wood panels, Dino has for some time decorated cigar humidors and musical instruments--especially guitars--with not only portraits (his most famous is a B.B. King guitar portrait on B.B. King's own guitar, his Lucille number 17) but a wide range of other motifs such as famous paintings, nostalgia art (cigar box motifs, for example, that he puts on humidors), landscapes, flora and fauna, abstract--each interpreted by him in pyrography on wood. Some of his work is also exhibited in a cyber salon of the E-Museum of Pyrographic Art.
Burnt Offerings is a studio of pyrographic and mixed-media interpretations of primitive and ceremonial art and music from contemporary gourd artists Opie and Linda O'Brien. The couple saw their first gourd (uncleaned) at a craft show in Ohio where they moved from New York about five years ago. Opie, a musician as well as a pen-and-ink artist, thought it would make a great rattle. Linda, a pyrographic artist, thought it would be an interesting surface to burn. They were both right, and within a year, Burnt Offerings Studio became their full-time business.
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Tlalac By Burnt Offerings Studio Opie and Linda O'Brien Pyroengraved gourd drum made from Lagenaria gourd, goat skin, bone, turquoise, beads, leather, and wood Photograph by Studio Rossi |
The O'Briens' gourds are combined with a myriad and curious assortment of Mother Nature's treasures, including wood, leather, porcupine quills, vertebrae, raffia, snakeskin, tusks, horsehair, deer toes, recycled fiber, crystals, prayer-beads, shed-antlers, bones, teeth, and/or skulls, and gemstones. The surface decoration is pyrography to which they add color by way of dyes, stains, and archival washes. The Lagenaria hardshelled gourd they use is very sturdy and they recommend caring for it as you would any fine wood to ensure their pyroengraved sculptures remain as heirlooms for the generations to come.
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Gourd Spirit Rattle By Burnt Offerings Studio Opie and Linda O'Brien Pyroengraved Lagenaria gourd rattle filled with stones from the banks of Lake Erie Photograph by Studio Rossi |
Linda is an award-winning poet who writes the lyrics for Opie's original musical compositions that he records for Burnt Offerings. Opie, who has played with major bands including The Raspberries, designs the musical instruments. Some of Opie's recordings feature these same gourd sculpture instruments.
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The Visitor (front view) By Burnt Offerings Studio Opie and Linda O'Brien Gourd guiro instrument as pyroengraved sculpture |
| The Visitor (side/rear view) By Burnt Offerings Studio Opie and Linda O'Brien With this piece, Opie won the Showtime Television Sci-Fi Alien Art Contest Photographs by Studio Rossi |
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The guiro is a type of percussion instrument played by running the guiro stick back and forth across the slotted surface (see the guiros immediately above and below). The guiro's intriguing sound is very discernible in Latin American dance music.
| The Gathering By Burnt Offerings Studio Opie and Linda O'Brien Pyroengraved guiro instrument as sculpture Lagenaria gourd body, carved wood head; other details made from antler, vertebrae, beads, glass, wood, and stones Photograph by Studio Rossi |
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| An exciting new book entitled Making
Gourd Musical Instruments by Ginger Summit and Jim Widess
will display, among others, work from Burnt Offerings Studio
and even include their audio music samples in an accompanying
compact disk. Look for the new, full-color publication and the
CD in May. Photograph and scan by The Caning Shop |
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| Click
here for conclusion next page: |
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Mountain
dulcimers by Harp Corrigan,
an African rattle, and
a Dino Muradian guitar
Pyrograffiti section follows
with many items of interest
and linked references
©1999 Kathleen M. Garvey Menéndez
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