Woodburning is often seen as an ancient and long-forgotten art form, but Court O’Reilly is one of the artists helping it make a comeback. The founder of Hippie North is bringing woodburning to the new era, and her creations are a love letter to nature and all its living creatures.
It’s been almost a decade since O’Reilly first stepped into the magical world of woodburning in 2016, and her evolution has been a joy to watch. She spent six hours working on her first piece and decided to keep going because this time allowed her to fully relax, be present, and immerse herself in something extraordinary.
O’Reilly is mostly inspired by nature, and she’s dedicated to deeply carving and etching the realistic textures of nature into her work. Realistic animal portraits are her specialty, but she also enjoys making art inspired by architectural designs and landscapes.
O’Reilly has crafted around 400 intricate pyrography art pieces since the start of her journey, and she puts a lot of effort into making them as sustainable as possible.
“She sustainably sources kiln-dried wood slabs that she cuts and sands into wood canvases for burning. She works closely with local woodworkers to use their products for artwork such as hand-crafted canoe paddles and charcuterie boards,” she writes on her official website.
