This piece was completed for the February EBSQ Flower of the month show featuring Pyracantha, otherwise known as Firethorn. It is also a part of a series I am working on with mandalas. When picking a theme to work on, I often search for a deeper meaning behind the inspiration... this piece is no different. The idea of the beautiful berries of this plant making a blaze of red against a white blanket of snow in the wintertime reminded me of my own midwinter emergence into a fiery, energized spirit... coming out of hibernation to revel in the new beginnings that are surrounding me right now....

This piece was pyrographed (woodburned) on a round piece of solid pine, and then painted with acrylic paint that I thin out almost to a consistency of watercolors. I finished it off with a sturdy coat of varnish and wire for hanging.