Black Dog Pyrography

My name is Karl Blatch. I grew up in a small country town in New South Wales, Australia. My mother was an artist and art teacher who cultivated my basic talents from an early age. I liked painting but found I had a greater talent for sketching . I seemed to have a talent for shadows and light. I never took it further than an occasional hobby although I have won several awards over the years.
My interest in pyrography came about by sheer chance. I study and teach Taekwondo. I had just done a little wolf with a soldering iron on an old piece of pine for a bit of fun. A lady I respected very much, (she was also my martial arts instructor), saw it and asked me if I could 'do' a picture of her on a piece of timber. As she was dying of cancer, I had no choice really, although I didn't really think it would be a success. I told her I'd do my best. The lady's name was Kim Dalton and her action portrait in Taekwondo garb is featured in the gallery.
I have found it to be a very time consuming but extremely rewarding medium, and every new creation gives me a new set of challenges. It has been a couple of years since Kim died but I give thanks to her every day for inspiring me to go outside my comfort zones and strive for that elusive perfection in everything I do, especially my art.