I believe everyone needs unique handcrafted artwork in their home. Many people have the same recognizable mass produced scenes and portraits decorating their walls. When you see something that is one of a kind, creative, and filled with emotion it brings the home to life and becomes more inviting. I am a traditional artist who started my craft in 2019. I was taught how to draw from sight when I was 12 years old, but was never encouraged to pursue art as a career. I did not attend art school nor did I take art classes in high school. I learn as I go and create my art directly from my imagination. I like to challenge myself and see art as a way to capture beauty. Sharing my art with others is a joy and I love the freedom to create new visions. Reproducing something that already has been created is just a copy of a copy, something we have all seen countless times. To envision something completely new is rare and exciting. 

 

I feel very emotionally connected to my artwork, it is filled with my love for nature. There is a sense of peace when you are amongst the giant trees that have been rooted in the earth for centuries and the history they have gone through hold many tales that have not been told yet. I want to be able to weave stories into my art to communicate with my audience. I have a strong connection to nature and a love for trees. When I was introduced to pyrography a new found passion was truly burned into me. I was extremely fascinated and satisfied to burn an image into a piece of natural wood. Wood already has so many beautiful grains, textures, and knots in it that there is already an image or landscape just waiting to be enhanced by fire. 

 

The process can be tedious and also exhausting, it is crucial to not make a mistake when working with fire. I hand sand all my wood canvases to create a smooth surface for me to work on which gives me time to really see into the grain and what stories are already present. I enjoy focusing on drawing out what is naturally in the piece of wood, I try to envision what trees see when no humans are around, what animals could have crossed its path. If there is a knot in the wood I find ways to incorporate it into the scene or create something out of it, maybe a branch or an animal that is similar to that shape. Having a slab of a tree for a canvas is quite unique, but to have it on a wall of your home brings a rustic, warm sense of nature into your living space.

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Cayleigh Holland

President of Iron Wolf Customs