How it Started
I didn’t discover pyrography through fine art training or formal drawing practice. I found it during a macramé phase.
I wanted custom wooden beads for my fiber work, so I went to the craft store, bought a basic wood-burning pen, and decided to make my own.
What happened next surprised me.
Almost immediately, I realized I could see in wood in a way I never could with pencil. I don’t see shapes the way traditional drawing instruction teaches. I can’t translate images cleanly onto paper. But give me fire and grain, and suddenly everything makes sense, light, shadow, depth, texture. Sepia became my language.
That first pen turned into a practice.
At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom raising three kids while working through my undergraduate degree in Accounting. Wood-burning happened in the margins, between classes, late at night, during stolen quiet moments. Even when my life shifted, the fire stayed.
After separating from my then-husband and returning to the workforce, time became scarce, but I still burned. Not because it was convenient, but because it was necessary.
Later, I relocated to be with my current partner, completed my degree, and enrolled in a Master’s program in Mental Health Counseling. Not long after, my youngest was diagnosed with Urea Cycle Disorder (CPS-1). Within a year, he was recommended for a liver transplant.
At that point, everything else paused.
I stepped away from wood-burning to focus on my son’s recovery, my studies, and keeping our family steady. Fire would have its turn again, but not before that chapter closed.
When my son was well and life found its footing again, I returned to pyrography with clarity I didn’t have before. This wasn’t just a creative outlet anymore.
It was the work.
That’s when Smoky Wood Studios became a business.
How its going
Today, I create original pyrography rooted in nature, symbolism, and lived experience, work that holds quiet strength rather than spectacle.
You’ll find recurring themes in my pieces:
- Woodland creatures and night scenes
- Mushrooms, moons, birds, and watchers
- Solitude that feels steady, not lonely
- Beauty shaped by time, pressure, and patience
Every piece is:
- Drawn and burned entirely by hand
- Created on natural or live-edge wood
- Finished with care for longevity
- One-of-a-kind
This is slow art. Intentional art. Art that carries weight without shouting.
A SIDE PATH: PYROGRAPHY ACADEMY
Alongside my studio work, I also run Pyrography Academy, where I teach and support others learning wood-burning, from absolute beginners to artists refining their craft.
Teaching is something I care deeply about, but Smoky Wood Studios remains the home of my personal, original work.
If you’re here to learn, there’s a path for that.
If you’re here to collect, you’re exactly where you should be.
HOW IT CONTINUES…
Values & MaterialsI work with natural and responsibly sourced wood whenever possible, choosing pieces for their character rather than perfection. Grain, bark, and irregular edges are part of the story—not something to erase. I use non-toxic finishes and inspect every piece carefully before it becomes art. Nothing here is mass-produced. Nothing is outsourced. Every burn is mine.