Overview

"This book is the collected images of Joanna Walitalo's first five years of woodburning artwork. Pyrography, the use of heat or fire to create an image, is an uncommon and sometimes under-appreciated media in the art world and commonly considered more of a craft. Joanna, like many other Midwest kids, was given a craft wood-burner when she was young, tried it once or twice, burnt herself and subsequently put it away. Many years later, she picked it up again, and this time stuck with it, pushing herself to create high detail, realistic artwork. Her professional background in biology, environmental policies and forestry led her to the idea of incorporating what she had learned about wood products into this unique art form, using her skills as an artist to spread the message of love, beauty and respect for the environment and our natural resources. The concept that all of her work is done on scrap wood builds an ethic of recycling into each piece of art. The name J. Walitalo was chosen because it covers both James and Joanna, a husband and wife team. The Walitalos enjoyed this hobby, where they could work together, James preparing and finishing the wood on which Joanna does her artwork. ""It is very satisfying to work together to create something unique and special, especially when I can do it with my best friend,"" Joanna reflects, referring to her husband James. No two pieces are the same because of the wood--each piece is a different size, species and grain. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right piece of wood for a particular image or to find the right image to fit a particular piece of wood. Each piece of art is done freehand, either drawing from life or from looking at reference photos. ""Joanna's vision is honest and straightforward. Walitalo loves wood, and she thoughtfully integrates the natural design of the various wood grains and knots within her rendering. Under Joanna's experienced craftsmanship, scraps of basswood, pine, curly maple, etc. become her partners in the creative process. Walitalo's drawings are a wonderful example of the artist uniting her life's passions with her perfect expressive medium."" --Michael Volker, Assistant Professor (Lecturer III) Painting and Drawing, CMU ""An extraordinary convergence of art, personal experience, growth and utilization of a renewable resource as a canvas. The narrative depicts and shares with the reader the thinking of the artist, her experiences in life and in her work. Joanna Walitalo has created a collection of artwork that utilizes pyrography to recognize people, nature and landscapes, and brought it to a single work that shares wood, nature and life."" --Andrew J. Storer, Dean, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, MTU ""Joanna Walitalo has an amazing capacity to recognize the personality of her subjects-both animal and human-and infuse that element into the finished piece. Using fine lines in either ink or pyrography, she brings forth the character of the time and place in her art. Her ethics of recycling wood that has either been rejected or has passed its time of usefulness as a product, lends heart and value to her work. This is an artist who loves, understands and values the natural world and can bring nature right into your home. Incredible!"" --Barb Rogers, Manager, Wildlife Recovery Association, and retired art instructor Learn more at jwalitalowoodburning.com"

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9781615996186

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Reviews

In nature, beauty is often found in the small details. Intricacies, such as the patterns on a feather or the texture of a river otter's fur as it emerges from the water are wonders that intrigue, inform and delight our senses. To capture these qualities with such vividness on a cut of wood is incredibly unique. Joanna's skill at representing the biological accuracy, while at the same time evoking a sense of emotion in her subjects, is truly a gift. --Jenn Wright, Executive Director at Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire, Michigan Joanna Walitalo, a gifted, brilliant and world-class artist--in every sense of the word--creates masterworks of art with style and craftsmanship that match any of the best visual artists anywhere in the world. --Whitney Bennett, Art Director/Curator/Muralist and Studio Commission Artist specializing in Buildings, plein air, portraits, and pets. Signature Style: 'finunfin, Macon, Georgia. A wonderful collection of wood-burning art, showcasing the talent of Joanna Walitalo. In addition to Joanna's art, it also includes history, nature facts and personal experiences. I love how all of this relates to each piece! I also enjoyed the progression, creativity and Joanna's perspective. If you love art and nature...you'll love this book! -- Julie Kaczorowski, artist at Riverside Originals by Julie, Sebewaing, Michigan Joanna's talent is breathtaking. Using an $8 wood burner and scrap lumber, she produces lifelike wood burnings that grace the homes of many clients. As a fellow author and artist (wildlife photographer), I am honored to call Joanna my peer, colleague and friend. -- Moose Henderson, Wildlife Photographer, Fairview, WY She incorporates the grain of the wood into the images and works in great detail such as the drool and droplets of water failing from a moose's mouth. I am fascinated by how she burns water. She makes it shimmer, reflects images, depicts it as still, or creates currents within the lake or stream. There has been some discussion on whether woodburning is a craft or art. This book decisively puts that issue to rest. -- Tom Powers, Michigan in Books Review

In nature, beauty is often found in the small details. Intricacies, such as the patterns on a feather or the texture of a river otter's fur as it emerges from the water are wonders that intrigue, inform and delight our senses. To capture these qualities with such vividness on a cut of wood is incredibly unique. Joanna's skill at representing the biological accuracy, while at the same time evoking a sense of emotion in her subjects, is truly a gift. --Jenn Wright, Executive Director at Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire, Michigan Joanna Walitalo, a gifted, brilliant and world-class artist--in every sense of the word--creates masterworks of art with style and craftsmanship that match any of the best visual artists anywhere in the world. --Whitney Bennett, Art Director/Curator/Muralist and Studio Commission Artist specializing in Buildings, plein air, portraits, and pets. Signature Style: 'finunfin, Macon, Georgia. A wonderful collection of wood-burning art, showcasing the talent of Joanna Walitalo. In addition to Joanna's art, it also includes history, nature facts and personal experiences. I love how all of this relates to each piece! I also enjoyed the progression, creativity and Joanna's perspective. If you love art and nature...you'll love this book! -- Julie Kaczorowski, artist at Riverside Originals by Julie, Sebewaing, Michigan Joanna's talent is breathtaking. Using an $8 wood burner and scrap lumber, she produces lifelike wood burnings that grace the homes of many clients. As a fellow author and artist (wildlife photographer), I am honored to call Joanna my peer, colleague and friend. -- Moose Henderson, Wildlife Photographer, Fairview, WY

Author Information

Joanna Walitalo grew up in Oil City, MI, where she took art classes at Bullock Creek Schools taught by Mr. Matherne and Mr. Myers; both very talented artists, and teachers with endless patience. She earned a BS degree in Biology and Envi-ronmental Studies from Central Michigan University, and took art classes at the Midland Center for the Arts, where she had the opportunity to study under Armin Mersmann. While studying at CMU, she took art classes form Dietmar Krumrey II and Michael Volker. From there, she moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where she earned a Master of Forestry at Michigan Technological University. A strong love of the outdoors, and wild places, has led her to incorporate her pas-sion for art with her professional education in order to bring the beauty of wildlife and wild places closer to the general public through scientifically accurate artwork. By far, the artist that influenced Joanna the most throughout her life has been her mom, Barb Rogers, who taught art at Coleman Middle School, MI, for many years, and always encouraged and guided Joanna to incorporate art into all her endeavors. Today, Joanna continues to live with her loving husband James, and son little James, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, working as an artist and illustrator.

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