WOODBURNINGS

Each year, Greenville’s Metropolitan Arts Council organizes the Flat Out Under Pressure (FOUP) art contest, in which local artists of all levels compete under the same restrictions: create an original, hand-made work of art in only 24 hours.

While there are monetary prizes for the top 8 places, these winners also earn exposure in the community – FOUP winners also have their artwork displayed on downtown Greenville’s recycling bins for a year.

In 2023, I entered the contest for the first time, and was awarded second place for my woodburning, “Swamp Rabbit Railroad”. This piece was fittingly installed on the recycling bin outside of the entrance to Falls Park, a primary connection point along the Swamp Rabbit Trail - a pedestrian and bike trail system built on the remnants of the Swamp Rabbit rail lines.

I have continued competing each year since, using the contest as a challenge to improve my woodburning skills, battle my perfectionism, and trust in the process of a somewhat unpredictable art form.