Bio of a Wood-Burning: "Portland Waterfront, 1901", Days 3-6

If it is true that "the demon is in the detail," then this wood-burning has always ranked as one of the more hellish. What gives this piece its magic are its many small details. There's a lot going on here and having them invent themselves as we proceed is one of the many reasons this craft can be so addictive.

The 4 days which constitute this post were spent with precisely these details. These are as varied as getting the windows in proper perspective or burning in a horse-drawn carriage at a scale so small it will prove all but invisible in the final piece. When it comes to this stage of things, I generally just "pick an area" and get busy, working it until it's time to move elsewhere...or as inspiration allows.


With a piece as detailed as Portland Waterfront, 1901, often as not my pre-sketching tends to be far more detailed than, say, if I were doing a wildlife piece. The above photo details a section that is actually quite small (the bow of this boat is little larger than my thumbnail), representing an area at roughly center. The windows of the building at the right...


...provide a decent example of how these windows are laid out individually. When working at a scale that small, I have found it helpful to burn the individual panes of windowglass, forming the woodwork from unburnt slivers rather than burning their specific outlines.

The charm of attempting a piece like this one is that it allows for plenty of space to let your imagination run free. As often as I have burned the Portland Waterfront, 1901 theme, there are so many elements that become unique to each piece. They announce their intentions as work progresses. I purposefully leave large sections of the panel "un-planned" when I begin this burned, just to guarantee many opportunities to "invent as I go."

With so many small details ("events"), I often catch myself wondering if, when this piece is hanging in someone's living room, how long will it be before they realize the figure of this woman is reflected in the storefront window...


...or that the little dog is peeing on the cargo container behind the man with the newspaper...?



Through this stage of the wood-burning, the work sessions get behind us quickly as the small details emerge, defining the piece...









At first glance, there appears to be quite a bit left to this piece, here at the end of 6 days' work. I am anxious to get back to this panel tomorrow. I may just be able to wrap up this piece with just one more day...