Inside Alumna Samm Moore's Pyrography

Karly Blats, Alberni Valley News

Published January 10, 2018

Inspired by the natural elements and the world around her, BC artist Samm Moore has been refining her skills of pyrography for the past four years.

Pyrography is the art or technique of adding images to wood by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point.

Moore, who grew up in Port Alberni and is now based in Nelson, discovered pyrography in her second year of a Fine Arts Degree at Emily Carr University in Vancouver.

“As a project for my drawing class we had to use a medium that we had never used before, and my classmate had a wood burner that she lent to me,” Moore said. “I instantly fell in love with it. I remember starting my first one and thinking how much I loved the feel and the texture of the wood.”

Although she developed a passion for wood burning right away, Moore says it was a learning curve to get to the level she’s at today.

“I’ve been drawing my whole life and had developed decent skills, but learning how to get the results I wanted with a new medium was a frustrating process, but very rewarding,” she said. “I’m glad I stuck with it and powered through the hard part. I’ve been doing it for about four years now and can feel myself improving all the time.”

Much of Moore’s art depicts wildlife and nature from BC landscapes to whales, dolphins, eagles and bears but also nautical scenes like ships and anchors. The possibilities are really endless.

“I feel very fortunate to have grown up in BC and able to experience the ocean and the mountains. I feel like they are such a big part of my roots and I want to share their beauty with the world,” Moore said. “I hope that my work will inspire those around me to appreciate our surroundings and help to keep them healthy and protected so that we may continue to enjoy them and coexist.”

Moore said she enjoys working with a variety of wood and getting to know the different species. She works with all different sizes of wood, creating a few small wood burnings in one day or working on larger pieces for weeks.

“I’ve developed a routine that has me working on several projects at once to make them more manageable,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed being busy with work and able to focus full time on my art.”

Moore will be the featured artist at the Rollin Art Centre, 3061 Eighth Ave. in Port Alberni from Jan. 9 to Feb. 2. Visit her in the gallery on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. for an artist’s reception.