Julie Bender's technique is to use tools that allow her flexibility to develop her unique style. Light, gradual strokes and smooth, subtle shading are her hallmark in attaining fine detail in each work of art. Pyrography, the art of burning or scorching on a natural surface was an art form practiced since the dawn of recorded time by Egyptian and African tribesmen fascinated by the mysterious beauty and power of fire.

Modern day pyrography is typically done with solid-point tools, which resemble but are more sophisticated than soldering irons or hot wire tools. These tools are electrically heated by equipment that may allow temperatures to be adjusted, thereby producing a great range of natural tones and shades.

Julie Bender said "Borrowing from the ancient craft of wood-burning, I attempt to portray the natural world in fresh ways to express my profound appreciation of animals and nature. I am moved by the graceful synthesis of a smooth wooden surface and the heat infused within to create rich sepia. As I ‘paint with heat,’ I feel a certain parallel between the wild and natural spirits that embody my subjects and the organic and distinctively unforgiving nature of my medium."

Liu Bolin was born in China’s Shandong province in 1973, and he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Shandong College of Arts in 1995 and his Master of Fine Arts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 2001. His work has been exhibited in museums around the world. Also known as "The Invisible Man", Liu Bolin's most popular works are from his "Hiding in the City" series; photographic works that began as performance art in 2005.

Liu belongs to the generation that came of age in the early 1990s, when China emerged from the rubble of the Cultural Revolution and was beginning to enjoy rapid economic growth and relative political stability.Look at the image gallery of his brilliant artwork.








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Artist Allison Cortson, from Los Angeles, California, said "Dust is the perfect material because it is actually created by the people in the paintings. She adds "I was sitting on the couch watching dust particles float around in the light coming through the window and the idea came to me".

"I'm interested in the fact that the older we get, the more dust we create - it is made up of 70 per cent dead skin. I enjoy painting people and thought dust would be the perfect material to represent them in their own environment."

"I am pretty quick when it comes to painting, depending on the size it takes me a week or two to finish," she said. "There aren't any special tools I use, except a fine mesh strainer I bought from a cooking store to sift out the dust".