PORTLAND PYROGRAPHY

NEWBORN BABY PORTRAIT FOR MY BROTHER’S FIRSTBORN

I wanted to celebrate the birth of my brother’s first child by burning a newborn baby portrait. My little brother is my youngest sibling, and while he has been married before, with step-children, this is his first biological child.

So, I wanted to memorialize the special event.

I had burned many different kinds of photos, images, and lettering over the years. From adults to animals, to fictional characters. But never before had I tried to bury a newborn baby portrait.

I WAS UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

I scrolled through the photos he and baby-mama had posted on social media and found just the right picture. The one I thought was best for a pyrography project had to be adjusted a bit, though. As you can see from the image below, the infant is lying sideways in someone’s arms. No problem! Since pyrography is a very hands-on and adaptable art form, I knew I could print it out and fix the placement on the surface of the wood.

NOT JUST ANY OLD REMEMBRANCE

I decided that, rather than just shading in sepia tones using the burning tool, I would use spot color to really make the piece shine! I like to use oil-based artist-grade colored pencils for this kind of highlight work. They are subtle, and blendable, creating a soft, oil painting effect.

I also happen to have some experience hand-tooling leather. So, decided this unique piece deserved a one-of-a-kind frame. I had some vegetable-tanned leather on hand, along with some leather dyes, and stamps, so I cut and worked the backing to perfectly set off this keepsake.

I think the piece turned out beautifully!

If you like this post, you might also like this post about a baby memorial box I burned.