Leland Design

Most of my work is done on found wood with a simple woodburner, kind of like drawing with pencil/paper, but this is drawing with heat. It’s a much slower process than traditional drawing, which is what I like about it. There is (forced) time with every line, lots of room for thinking and studying, and since it requires intense concentraiton, there is no space for racing thoughts – aka “monkey mind” as the Budha called it, not to be confused with monkey brain, which is a delicacy in some parts of the world. Woodburing actually came to light for me during a period of too much brain activity, when there was nothing but running that I could do to relax (cue the tendinitis, one can only run so much.) Then I found out the painstakingly slow process of woodburning also slows me down. Then I found yoga, meditation, spirituality, meds and friendships that worked too.

There was actually a period when the only thing that got some trapped images out of my head (Khashogii!) was to burn them on wood, and the only times I could make art was when I was struggling emotionally. Luckily, not all of my art comes these days from disturbing images and thoughts, though I will be forever grateful that I have this medium to help me process during rocky times.

Just a little disclaimer, because I’ve seen this discussion before with teachers who are public about their social justice activism – are you wondering how being an activist reconciles with being a teacher? Wouldn’t it make me biased? I’d say just the opposite! What I want from my students is for them to think critically, independently, and deeply – not to agree with me. So in my work with students, I don’t push my views, but instead encourage students to learn to question what they read and hear, identify reliable sources, and stand up for (while actively reflecting on) what they believe in.