Biography of renowned Australian Pyrography artist, K. J. Mixo Sydenham of West Gippsland. Victoria. An outline of historical "Poker Work" to modern day Pyrography. Burning decorations and designs on every day household items made of timber, began in England in the 1880s, whereby Poker work craft persons, generally used a hot wire inserted in a cork handle, got it glowing red hot by placing the wire tip in their wood fired stove or open fire, and then burning a basic outline of the main subject or design. Indian ink colourations generally followed completion of the burning outlines, whether it was done via a hote wire, a white spitits burner in the 1900s, or an electric variable pyro pen, as commercially produced in the 1920s. On a personal note. My first recollection of Poker Work is an example shown in the following photo, which was owned by by my great aunts Nennie ( Ellen ) and Stella Richardson, who moved from Swan Reach Vic to Melbourne in the post WW1 years Basically in a nutshell, this Limited Edition Certified print collection by Victorian Pyrographer Mixo Sydenham, is a self taught Pyro as from the mid 1970s, who has diligently and passionately taught, exhibited, sold, and promoted his beloved yet to be recognized medium througout most of Australia, parts of Europe and London. In Mixo's own words, "I have initiated this Certified Limited Edition Print range from my personal Pyrography archives, to represent the relatively few Pyographers internationally, who have actually mastered burning Pyrography as fine art on paper to true exhibition standard. More importantly, due to past serious health problems resulting in me being physically unable to produce any Pyroworks for the last 25 years, now my passion to promote world wide recognition of my beloved medium via my 59 Limited print range, is now a reality. Kindly note, all income after costs from these speciality prints, will be donated to local worthwhile supportive community causes, eg. Foodbank, Vinnies, Mawarra etc. Obviously, I don't want or need any income from my unique Pyrography artwork, however, every tiny degree of interest and recognition of Pyrography's potentential development and recognition to me, is absolutely priceless. Portrait of Mixo in pastel, by friend Jenny Murray Jones - 1997. How my interest in Pyrography began - "Mum, Dad, I don't want to go "Burning down the house", like as the Talking Heads song. My personal Pyrographical history began as a young teenager, when I greatly admired the Pyroworks of my late uncle Morrie Hopkins, who was a professional Printing Plate Maker of collectable books at Wilkes Printers in Melbourne. Uncle Morrie often created and sold about half a dozen most exteremley detailed Pyroworks burnt on wood and presented in frames he made, to his workmates, which in due course paid for his family's annual holidays, and other expenses. As it turned out, I had a serious motorcycle accident aged 19, which resulted in me having two broken arms in plaster for 3 months, with a platinum plate and 10 inch pin in my left arm in recovery mode. Whilst unable to work in my bank job, with a fair amount of time being totallkybored to kill, I experimented for ages, how to burn basic putlines and eventually pictures on scrap pieces of wood in my Dad's shed with his soldering iron, roughly based on and similar to Uncle Morrie's fantastic style and technique. Mixo and artist sister Jill Harris - re joint exhibition WGAC Vic - 1991. An early cartoon doodle burnt with a soldering iron on 3 ply - 1975. A "Fab Four" Beatles tribute burnt on 3ply with added water colours - 1995. Street sign logo from Vienna promoting bugggy rides, burnt on pine plaque - C 1998. . A verified long standing resume of the Pyrography exhibitions and events I have coordinated, Hung and lit, promoted, and arranged sponsorship for, Click above or Tap Key R to review Mixo's formal Arts Resume. Obviously, as with this site layout, my proposed business plan is also still under construction, and is open to the suggestions, and flexible to meeting the requirements, preferences, and special circumstances of those Paper Pyro sepcialists, who may also be looking for recognition, acknowledgement, and some basic income, from what is in my professional and experienced opinion, likely to be one of the world's rarest, and therefore the most collectable, artistic and creative and flexible skills, yet to be properly promoted and commercially developed in the Art World and most governmental funding bodies. If I may add, my most memorable past sponsored exhibitions, were - A stall on the Women's Weekly magazine annual craft fair at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, ( $2500 stall spondorship ) in 19 where about half a dozen fellow Victorian Pyro demonstrated and taught hundreds of adults and kids, which had 10 Ironcore Pyro Pens ( worth over $2,000 ) sponsored by Don Kent, manager of the brilliant Ironcore Transformer Pyro Pens, from Preston in Victoria. A lady friend from near Frankfurt, Germany tha I met on Magnetic Island in far north Queensland, sent me an invite to get to know her better, plus a plane ticket, which ended 4 months later ending up with me staying in Vienna Austria, where at my fiorst Saturday night party there, I was invited to exhibit and demonstrate my Pyrography skills, in a joint exhibition " Mixo and artist sister Jill Harris - re joint exhibition WGAC Vic - 1991. An early cartoon doodle burnt with a soldering iron on 3 ply - 1975. A "Fab Four" Beatles tribute burnt on 3ply with added water colours - 1995. Street sign logo from Vienna promoting bugggy rides, burnt on pine plaque - C 1998. Click above or Tap Key S to review Mixo's Suppliers and Supporters. Back to Home Page.