PYROGRAPHIC WILDLIFE ARTIST          Abstract Painter / Photographer

Carol Pulvermacher is best known as a self-taught wood burning wildlife artist (pyrographer). As a teenager, growing up in rural southern Wisconsin, she picked up a wood burning tool and learned to create for family and friends. In the late 90’s she started Lazy Dog Designs, helping people deal with loss by creating pet portraits and memorials. Soon after moving to Oregon in 2006, she stepped into the larger world of wildlife imagery. She began showing in galleries in Sisters, Lincoln City and Sellwood OR. After joining an artist cooperative, The Spiral Gallery in Estacada and Ryan Gallery in Lincoln City, she enjoyed her first invitational group show at The Lincoln City Cultural Center Chessman Gallery in April 2013, and first Solo Show “wild, WILD Life” at The Spiral Gallery in August 2013. In the summer of 2015, she discovered the abstract world of drip painting. On a whim, she added her wood burned wildlife images, some with a NW native style, to the paintings, allowing her to express both the noise in her head, and the calm quiet that she needs. In June 2015 she presented her second Solo Show “Life on Edge” at Spiral Gallery, and followed with another Solo Show “Eye of the Beholder” also at The Spiral Gallery in June 2017. Was accepted in the Juried shows, “Color” in Fort Collins, CO in August of 2017, and “All Things Salmon” show at the Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay OR, in the Fall of 2017. She was accepted in the Clackamas County Artist Alliance Program and showed twice in 2017. She then invited a friend, Virginia Leonnig, to submit an idea for a Show at the Lincoln City Cultural Center Chessman Gallery. That show “Colorful Confluence” opened in November 2017, and has left the biggest impression on her as an artist. The Show then moved to The Pacific Maritime Heritage Museum in Newport OR for ten consecutive months. Back at Spiral Gallery, she enjoyed a three member show called “3 pART Harmony” in April 2018 and in May she hosted a successful Home Studio Show over the Memorial Day weekend. More recently, she invited seven other Spiral Gallery artists to join her in an eight member show called “8 Days A Week” which opened in February 2019. Today, she continues to grow with yet another style of abstract painting, wood staining and photography in 2019. “THIS AND THAT”, her fourth Solo Show at The Spiral Gallery opened in May 2019. She was a driving force and helped coordinate the “We Are Connected” group show at Spiral Gallery in July 2019.  In November of 2019 she was accepted as a Member of the Newly created Red Trillium Cooperative Gallery in Troutdale OR where she served on the Board as Gallery Display Lead.  August 2020 she was joined by another wood Artist for the joint show “Fins and Feathers” at The Spiral Gallery.  In December of 2020 she retired from both Cooperative Galleries, and is looking forward to whatever comes next.

“I am best known for my Wildlife Pyrographic work. With a wide variety of wood species as my canvas, 2D and 3D (sometimes using unfinished, refinished, or creating my own furniture pieces) I draw the animal(s) on the wood first. Then I burn the likeness into the wood.  The next step is to add pencil color, stain and paints to bring each piece to life.

My current body of work includes mosaic design elements in the wood burning, some NW native stylized design, abstract paint and abstract stain. Often the wood that I use steers the creative direction, always with nature in mind.  Animals, plants, colors all take on a life as I work, with the original idea often changing as I proceed.  More recently I enjoy a form of abstract drip expression with paint and stains.  I find this creative form very freeing, and am able to express myself in a whole new way.” ~c