by Roxanne Phillips, MFA
Printmaker and Master Printer, Pele Prints
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| Sophie Binder. Rainbow Wall. 2019. Wood Burning and Watercolor on Maple, Mounted on Painted Aluminum, Hexaptych, 33”x23”. $6,000. |
Roxanne Phillips: Describe your artistic process/technique. Do you prefer "wood burning" or "pyrography" and why?
Sophie Binder: I discovered wood burning about five years ago, giving a try after a discussion I had with an artist friend. I did not know anything about it but thought it might be interesting to explore as my art style is often tied to line work. I was excited to venture into a more organic version of it. Also my dad was wizard woodworker/cabinet maker and I felt I would channel his spirit - he had just recently passed- wandering in the world of wood. I was hooked the first time I tried even if I had no idea of what I was doing!! As I explored the technique in more depth - by trial and error more than looking at how-to books - I reveled more and more in the process. And because my other preferred way of artistic expression is watercolor, I had to find a way to combine both. This led to tiptoeing toward the most appropriate wood for that marriage: and I fell in love with maple and its very rich and large family. Wood burning is the word I use in the U.S. the most often because a lot of people do seem to be so familiar with pyrography, which is the term (Pyrographie) I would use in my native country of France.
This technique fits my art process. It is detailed, time-consuming, unforgiving (I tend to work with unforgiving mediums: watercolor, ink pen when I sketch), and meditative. A the burning of the wood adds so much richness to line work.
Sophie Binder: I discovered wood burning about five years ago, giving a try after a discussion I had with an artist friend. I did not know anything about it but thought it might be interesting to explore as my art style is often tied to line work. I was excited to venture into a more organic version of it. Also my dad was wizard woodworker/cabinet maker and I felt I would channel his spirit - he had just recently passed- wandering in the world of wood. I was hooked the first time I tried even if I had no idea of what I was doing!! As I explored the technique in more depth - by trial and error more than looking at how-to books - I reveled more and more in the process. And because my other preferred way of artistic expression is watercolor, I had to find a way to combine both. This led to tiptoeing toward the most appropriate wood for that marriage: and I fell in love with maple and its very rich and large family. Wood burning is the word I use in the U.S. the most often because a lot of people do seem to be so familiar with pyrography, which is the term (Pyrographie) I would use in my native country of France.
This technique fits my art process. It is detailed, time-consuming, unforgiving (I tend to work with unforgiving mediums: watercolor, ink pen when I sketch), and meditative. A the burning of the wood adds so much richness to line work.
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| Artist Sophie Binder in a favorite place: the mountains. |
R: What is the biggest point of inspiration for your artwork?
S: There is no question that nature, the mountains, the deserts, wide open spaces, and anything tied to my travels are at the core of what i like "to burn." I have also loved working on portraits and realize these are not much different than a mountain scape!
S: There is no question that nature, the mountains, the deserts, wide open spaces, and anything tied to my travels are at the core of what i like "to burn." I have also loved working on portraits and realize these are not much different than a mountain scape!
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| Sophie Binder at work in her studio. |
R: Do you have a studio routine? Most creative time of day to work? Process of thinking or setting up before you begin making?
S: I am a morning person, period. I know a lot of artists are night owls, but I am useless at night. This might be coming from the fact that I lived for almost a year and half on the road with my bicycle, my routines following the daylight.
Because I add watercolor to my pieces, I spend a lot of time preparing the wood for it. This involves a lot of sanding until I have a baby-skin smooth surface.
Wood burning is a technique that gets difficult to do for hours at a time. many reasons for it: fumes, heat, intense focus... So I will work on some pieces for a while, then jump on something else and go back.
Most pieces take some time. The technique is unforgiving and the fact that I only pencil-outline the major shapes in the work before burning makes for a lot of going back and forth. Landscapes are a bit easier for that than portraits.
S: I am a morning person, period. I know a lot of artists are night owls, but I am useless at night. This might be coming from the fact that I lived for almost a year and half on the road with my bicycle, my routines following the daylight.
Because I add watercolor to my pieces, I spend a lot of time preparing the wood for it. This involves a lot of sanding until I have a baby-skin smooth surface.
Wood burning is a technique that gets difficult to do for hours at a time. many reasons for it: fumes, heat, intense focus... So I will work on some pieces for a while, then jump on something else and go back.
Most pieces take some time. The technique is unforgiving and the fact that I only pencil-outline the major shapes in the work before burning makes for a lot of going back and forth. Landscapes are a bit easier for that than portraits.
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| Sophie Binder. Sadhu. 2018. Wood Burning and Watercolor on Maple, Mounted on Painted Aluminum, 13”x24”. $3,500. |
R: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
S: I already work at home, so that did not change much for me, and I still have a bit of work, lucky me.
But one thing changed: in January I started to work on a big commission of 7 large multi-panels wood burning pieces. Because the pieces are large, I was going to have spaces issue since my studio is a small room in my home. So I joined MADE STL and found there an amazing community that welcomed me with open arms. Not only I could prepare all my wood before burning, but i had a space to burn as well, and i found my focus and enthusiasm was incredible in that space. So COVID-19 did change that, as I was back home in March, and I do miss the interaction with all the great creators there.
S: I already work at home, so that did not change much for me, and I still have a bit of work, lucky me.
But one thing changed: in January I started to work on a big commission of 7 large multi-panels wood burning pieces. Because the pieces are large, I was going to have spaces issue since my studio is a small room in my home. So I joined MADE STL and found there an amazing community that welcomed me with open arms. Not only I could prepare all my wood before burning, but i had a space to burn as well, and i found my focus and enthusiasm was incredible in that space. So COVID-19 did change that, as I was back home in March, and I do miss the interaction with all the great creators there.
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| Artist Sophie Binder. |
R: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
S: Submitting work to exhibits like Art Saint Louis has been great for the exposure to a larger audience, but also meeting other artists. Instagram is a great tool also to show what I do, and interact with other, and see what art is out there. My website is also a way to exhibit what I do. Commissions, and word of mouth are mostly how I have been selling my art.
R: have you ever caught anything on fire?
S: Ah ah, thankfully NO! and I have tried to be more careful about fumes (use of a mask or a table fan)
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S: Submitting work to exhibits like Art Saint Louis has been great for the exposure to a larger audience, but also meeting other artists. Instagram is a great tool also to show what I do, and interact with other, and see what art is out there. My website is also a way to exhibit what I do. Commissions, and word of mouth are mostly how I have been selling my art.
R: have you ever caught anything on fire?
S: Ah ah, thankfully NO! and I have tried to be more careful about fumes (use of a mask or a table fan)
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Sophie Binder is a fine artist whose works have been featured in solo and juried group exhibitions. Solo exhibits include presentations at The Green Center and University City Public Library Gallery. Her works have been featured in several Art Saint Louis exhibits, including “Menagerie” (2018), “Outliers” (2019), “Art St. Louis XXXV, The Exhibition” (2019), and “Heaven and Earth” (2020). Her work was most recently featured in “Yosemite Renaissance 35,” Yosemite Museum Gallery, Yosemite Valley, CA (February 22-May 3, 2020). A lover of the outdoors, in 2014, Sophie self-published The World, Two Wheels and a Sketchbook, a book that she created of her sketches that she created while on a 14-month tour of the world that she took on her bicycle in 2001-02. You can watch an interview with Sophie as part of Art Saint Louis’ 35th annual “Exhibition” Fall 2019 on HEC-TV. You can also see her in 2014 interviews on PBS’ Living St. Louis and Arts America. She also works as a commercial graphic artist and illustrator with clients that include Patagonia, Ovarian Cancer Foundation, Meshuggah Cafe, Missouri Department of Conservation, Parker’s Table, Akron Art Museum, Onsight Rock Gym, Sesame Place, and many more.
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Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. She has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer and since 2018 as Master Printer for Pele Prints. She also works as adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
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