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ABOUT ME

WRITING WITH FIRE!

Ruth at work (3).jpg
Ruth for About Me (1).jpg

Pyrography is the fascinating art of decorating wood by burning the pattern into the article concerned - sometimes called "writing with fire". It dates back hundreds of years, but gained great popularity with the Victorians, who called it "poker work", and today the Americans call it "wood burning".

I have been wood burning since 2001. I have decorated a wide variety of platters, bowls, boxes, coasters, clocks, etc. Almost any design can be put on wood. Although many different kinds of wood can be used, I usually work in American Basswood, English Sycamore, Beech, Birch, Maple and high quality plywood. Each piece is individually burned by me, and is therefore truly a one-off.

I am a Christian, and believe that whatever I do must honour the Lord that I serve - I love doing things that witness to my faith. I've done platters with Christian designs, suitable for use in church services, and one particularly enjoyable project was a set of coasters decorated with hymn tunes!

My logo is the Msasa tree -  a hardy, drought-resistant tree which grows prolifically in the highveld of Zimbabwe - my home for many years. In the African spring its leaves change to brilliant shades of gold, orange, bronze and copper. A hillside of Msasa trees is a glorious sight to see, and represents some of the beauty that I try to re-create in my work.

Please do contact me at ruth@grint.co.uk and I will be delighted to discuss your personal needs with you.

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