Pyrography means “writing with fire.” Awesome.
You have probably never heard of pyrography, but that’s alright. Neither had I until I met Sarah and her wife Chris from 9five7 at the Ottawa Geek Market last Sunday. Pyrography is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated, pen-like object. Traditionally, the subjects of these pieces tend to be landscapes, animals, or abstract patterns. At 9five7, Sarah decided to make the art of “writing with fire” even cooler by creating artwork inspired by nerdy movies, TV series, comics, and video games. Sarah and Chis really sparked our interest with their unique take on this art-form, so much so that we wanted to share it with you!
When we asked Sarah what first attracted her to pyrography, she told us about a bad experience at a local convention that drove her to create original work of her own. A brand of comic she wanted signed by a celebrity guest at the con was deemed “off limits” by staff. Obviously disappointed, Sarah “decided that if [she] made [her] own form of art to get signed, nobody could really complain.” Supported by Chris, who takes care of the administrative side of things (as well as keeping Sarah fed and sane), Sarah has succeeded in her goal and is creating art that I’m sure won’t be off limits at any convention. Sarah has also suffered from depression and anxiety and found that the amount of concentration necessary to execute this technique has helped her cope. Sarah’s unique medium and amazing artistry kept her and Chris quite busy at their booth at last weekend’s Ottawa Geek Market.
When choosing a new subject, Sarah goes where her inspiration takes her. She admits that a new show or the revival of a show (like X-Files) can inspire her to create new pieces and temporarily shelve existing projects. She will often work on the fine details of a piece while watching the subject show or movie with Chris. Working on something you love, while watching something you love, WITH someone you love sounds pretty amazing doesn’t it? To begin a new piece, Sarah will desaturate an image and posterize it, making the shadows more distinct. Then she’ll black out the areas to be burned and make final adjustments with various image programs before moving on to the actual burning. Sometimes this process can take weeks depending on the intricacy of the design, and whether new subject matter steals her attention!
While there is a wide array of nerdy staples like Star Wars and Batman themed creations in the 9five7 portfolio, you will also see TMNT, Mass Effect, and The Senators. Sarah IS an Ottawa native, after all! Usually burnt onto a piece of wood, Sarah’s designs can also be created on wooden chests or boxes. The great part is, she does custom work as well, so you can have a unique work of art to add to your collection!
We had a great time chatting with Sarah and Chris at the Geek Market. You can find more work from this local artist on her Deviant Art page at 9five7.deviantart.com.
For ordering info you can also contact them at 9five7@gmail.com
and find them on Twitter at @patient9five7
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