Illustrative wood-burning inspired by forest myth, night skies, and quiet stories.
Watch the work
take shape
Process Videos, slow burning and studio life.
Featured & Represented
Where my work has been recognized, shared, and made available in the real world
Crozet Artisan Depot
A curated space for handmade work with soul. My pyrography lives here among other damn-good makers.
Rockfish Gallery & Gifts
Nestled in the Blue Ridge, this gallery showcases my work alongside fine art and regional craftsmanship.
The Artist
Smoky Wood Studios is the home of my original, hand-burned wood art, work shaped by fire, time, and a lifelong relationship with making things by hand.
I’m Petra Monaco. I’ve always been a creator. Wood just happened to be the material that finally listened.
From the Studio
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Carrying Fire While Raising Kids: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Myth of Balance
There was a stretch of years when my days were measured in backpacks, appointments, meals, and the constant background noise of someone needing something from me. Not metaphorically. Literally. Having kids means the house is rarely quiet in the way people imagine quiet. Even when no one is talking, something is humming, laundry, thoughts, responsibility,