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ART AND BEADING
  TUTORIALS >
Tigers are the largest of the big cats and one of the most beautiful. Unfortunately their beauty has also been their downfall as they were hunted for trophy and pelts to dangerously low numbers.
  Today there are more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild.
  Conservation efforts have been made to help save the few remaining tigers and it is hoped that they will recover and thrive for future generations to appreciate and admire.
  This box depicts a tiger drinking at a small pool.
  The burn has a lot of texture as over four thousand individual hairs were stroked into the image to give it a hue and richness that makes it a real eye grabber. The piece was sold long before I finished the work when I was posting pictures of it on woodburner.com as a work in progress.
  The interior is lined with a tiger patterned cloth that just seemed to fit the colour and feel of the box perfectly. It is always a challenge to make all the elements come together but of course the reward is an art piece that others will remember and talk about for a long time after they first see it.
  I always hope that my wildlife art will inspire others not just to admire the image, but to fall deeper in love with the animals depicted, because when you are truly passionate about wildlife you are well on the road to helping and supporting conservation efforts that benefit the animals as well as all of us.
In ancient days the Scandinavians perfected their seagoing vessels and set out upon a troubled Europe with amazing skill and speed. Even today the performance of Viking ships as seen in numerous demonstrations made by replicas, is far superior to any modern vessel. Raids grew more and more frequent and of course it was known among the peoples that they attacked that these people were the last of a great pagan civilization to descend upon a Christianized continent.
  They worshiped strange and powerful God's and exotic and beautiful Goddesses. But most feared and also most revered among the pantheon of Norse Dieties was the Valfather Odin. His name was spoken with reservation and whispers of respect and trepidation.
  The Vikings followed the tales of two groups of Gods who first warred and then settled and set up dominion in Asgard. The first group were the Gods of nature and the Earth. These were called the Vanir. The second group who came later were called, the Aesir. In time a conflict grew and the Vanir and Aesir had a terrible War. In the end the Aesir were said to have come out ahead of the Vanir and took primary rulership over Asgard.
  Their head was Odin Allfather a God of wisdom and War. He is also call the God of the dead. His cunning and knowledge were widely known and he was seen as a giver of victory in battle when whim suited him. But Odin was loved and feared for he could easily turn his favor away from those who incurred his wrath and men strove to curry favor with him so that they might be given glory and kinship in Valhalla ( the Hall of the Dead ) when they had earned the right to pass to the great golden Hall.
  Odin had two Ravens Hugin and Munin ( Thought and Memory ) which flew forth in all the realms and reported back to him on all that they had seen. Also two great wolves Freki and Geri who enforced his will and served his need. The wolves could shift colour and hue as they moved and were usually close to his side, though often unseen.
About the burn; This peice is now owned by a Pagan Godi ( Priest ) in California. It shows Odin and one of his two wolves ( Freki ) in war armor. The helm is stylized after helmets that were common in the Vendal Era ( circa 550 C.E. ) in Scandinavia. Vendal era helms and armor were heavy and elaborate for it was a time period when Scandinavian Warlords warred among themselves with brutal and savage weapons. Later during the "Viking Era" ( 793 C.E. - 1066 C.E. ) armor, helms, and weapons became lighter as the Norse peoples began using "hit and run" tactics to terrorize Europe. This gurrila warfare was very efficient and of course a chainmail shirt and simple helm with a nasal guard or occular mask was sufficient to allow for greater speed of attack and retreat during a raid.
  The burn depicts a "Bearded Axe" which is the famed axe of the old Norse expression "A sword will save a man's life in a fight, but an axe will save a man anywhere!" Referring to the fact the an axe could be used for combat, to chop wood, as a throwing impliment, as a hammer, and also to hook tree limbs or walls that were beyond reach to allow for a climbing aid. A truely versatile weapon indeed. The term "Bearded" refers to the longer lower point of such an axe which resembled the profile view of a man's long pointed beard. Hence the name.
  At the top of the plaque you can see two "Knot" animals. These served a vital function in Norse artwork. It was said that evil spirits and entities were always intrigued and drawn into the knot animals, but once there, they become trapped like a labyrinth and never escape again to trouble mankind. So knotwork protects the viewer from evil spirits. Norse knotwork was the precurser to Celtic knotwork which followed the infusion of the two cultures. But while the Scandinavians began the art form, the Celts took it to geometric perfection, balancing out the artwork with a symmetry that was not generally observed in most of the six Scandinavian art styles. The function of the knots in Celtic lore however remained unchanged and they too warded evil spirits by trapping them in their artwork for eternity.
This necklace was made for Oprah Winfrey who I consider a personal hero of mine.This necklace and earring set was custom made for Super Model Perish.This is the earring hanging from the first Perish set. It is wire wrapped and does not require peirced ears as the weight is supported over the bridge of the ear.This is the necklace and earring set for the first Perish project as it would hang when worn. I will post pictures when I recieve them.This is the necklace and pendant for the Dielust Necklace for Supermodel Perish.This is the photo from which the artwork was done for the Dielust Pendant. Taken from his Dielust series.Here is the artwork floated in resin and polished. The wood is a simulated wormwood that was hand carved.Admiral Adama, aka Edward James Olmos. This plaque is a 7"X7" plaque which he owns. An actor whom I greatly admire!This is also a 7"X7" plaque from the Sci-Fi channel remake of Battlestar Galactica. In my opinion, one of the best shows that has ever been aired since the dawn of mass media.I made this pendant for me. I never knew it would get so much attention from everyone. it is the inspiration behind much of my "Primal" line.The Essence logo was the next stage. I do a wide range of jewelry and art and did not want folks locked into the idea that there was a limit to what I can produce.These ladies watches were all made with dichroic glass and are extremely elegant pieces.Some of the pieces in my Essence line. These tend to be more elegant and pricey pieces, for more formal occassions.The Lionfish tissuebox cover was first woodburned, then coloured with a combination of colour pencil and acrylic dilution stains. It has been a fan favorite for some time.The Great Dragon plaque was over 70 hours of woodburning time if strung back to back. It is a rather interesting piece and does have a small relief carving of Chinese origin.Baby crocodiles always look cute to me. This was another fun clock to woodburn.Little Dog was a Lakota Sioux who was woodburned from a photo portrait I found in a Historical Archive of Native American pictures. His face tells some amazing stories I think.These are some of the peices of my primal collection that are inspired by native Americans. Three Eagles was Nez Perce whom I also found from a Historical Archive photo. I loved the details of his features which I burned carefully. What an amazing face.The Drinking Tiger jewelry box was sold before it was completed. Seen by a fellow pyrographic artist, it was snatched up fast and I know it is well admired and loved by it's owner.The interior of the Drinking Tiger Box.The White Tailed Hawk is a limited edition Lithograph. The original artwork was done in colour pencil. I love nature and animals as my subjects for artwork.This clock was the second Pendulum clock I ever made. It features a cutaway of the shape of the state of Florida along with a woodburned image of Brown Pelicans in flight.These pieces were inspired by African artwork and jewelry.Memory wire is all the rage for those who do not mind close fitting "choker" style jewelry and want a piece that is easy to put on and go without fussing over clasps.I made this jokingly for a friend who had to deal with a variety of complaints as part of her job. Since she added it to her office it has actually reduced the intensity of complaints. ( Go figure! )This F-14 Fighter was a small wooden model I made and then burned just for the heck of it. I had not done a lot of 3-D work when it came to woodburning so it was a blast to do.The Leopard was an immensely fun and time consuming burn. After staining and burning a custom frame the piece was eagerly aquired by some wildlife Conosuires.One of my all time favorite burnings, this piece is owned by a man in California who is a great student of the old Norse culture and religion.The Water Warrior is done on a smaller plaque and while guys always focus on the obvious, I did this as a study in water and reflections which are sometimes a challange to woodburn.These are peices from my Primal collection. They are designed to draw out primal thoughts.This clock is a Frilled Dragon with it's frill closed and held near the neck. When threatened or scared the lizard can open the frill like an umbrella to look bigger and scare off rivals or danger.More of the Primal collection. The Abalone spikes in particular tend to really grab at the viewer and trigger thoughts of claws or teeth.I like variety and so too do my customers and the celebraties I deal with. After all, variety IS the spice of life!A view of some "Blue" themed necklaces from the Primal collection.A small clock burned while I sat out a hurricane. It portrays a vieled Chameleon hissing in defensive threat.A commission piece woodburned and then coloured and stained.T-Rex skull in resin. A fun necklace to make.Sea Turtle Box which is a combination of Woodburning, staining, and mosaic tile work.A necklace made for Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.Memory Book woodburned and coloured in colour pencil.Ichthyosaurus Fossil in a memory frame. Woodburned and routered to give it a 3-D affect. This is the Pre-coloured image.
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NECKLACE PHOTO GALLERY
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BUYING ARTWORK AND JEWELRY IN HERE SAVES ANIMALS AND HABITAT
HERE ARE SOME OF MY CLIENTS WHO WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BUY SOME ARTWORK!
YOUR PURCHASE HELPS TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SAVE WILDLIFE!
THE RAVEN PLAQUE FEATURES A CHINESE PROVERB THAT STATES:
"IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL, NEVER FORGET IT!"
THIS IS A SMALL PLAQUE LIKE THE RAVEN PLAQUE IT IS APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES WIDE. THIS IS A WOODBURNING OF AN OCELOT. A SMALL WILD CAT OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA. I LIKE THESE BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS.
IN LOVING AND FOND MEMORY OF LEE BAST.
THIS CLOCK IS A GIFT FOR COLLYNE WHO'S SON LEE THOUGH 11 YEARS OLD WHEN HE PASSED, TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES. HIS ENERGY AND SPIRIT LIVE ON!
CLICK ON THUMBNAIL TO ENLARGE.
THE IMAGE IS DONE ON A MOON SHAPE AS COLLYNE'S COMPANY IS BLUE MOON
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SMALL PLAQUES OF MARINE LIFE! BASIC PYROGRAPHY.
LEMON SHARK
GROUPER
TIGER SHARK
MINKE WHALE
SPERM WHALE
A sneak peek at my latest project, The Snarling Smilodon. This project addresses an issue that I noticed with artist renderings of this Sabertoothed Cat. There seems to be a great tendancy to create an image that appears half canine and half feline when they make the head and face of the animals. However a good study of the skulls of fossilized Smilodon indicates an animal that looks simular in cranial structure to a modern lion or tiger. I kept these shape models in mind when I created my sketch. I will post the final results once it is finished.  - Erik
A colour pencil sketch of a heron  fishing. The heron family is an amazing group of birds and always fascinating to watch. They have endles patience and will sit motionless in a good fishing spot for quite sometime before darting in at a blinding speed with their strike to catch the fish, frogs, lizards, and other small creatures that make up their normal diet.

  This piece is 8.5 X 11 inches and has a small amount of penwork with the colour pencil.

- Erik
When you purchase artwork from this site your money helps to support environmental and conservation organizations. Between 30-50% of the proceeds from a sale are donated to one of the following organizations:
Remember to let you friends and family know. I only donate to environmentally sound and heavily active organizations! Those represented above have what it takes to get things done!