To watch Zachary Aronson paint his portraits is to be witness to an artist creating the deepest expression of his soul. Each detail, from the tilt of the model’s face to the wisp of an eyebrow, is meticulously put in place by hands that move gracefully over the picture, helping it to take shape. The shading, the person’s expression, and even their mood are perfectly captured in the portrait, and when Zach is finished and he stands with his model to look at his work, each feels their own happiness and satisfaction. What makes the final result even more impressive is that Zach does it all with fire.

If you haven’t heard of painting pictures with fire, it’s because Zach is literally the only person in the world who does it. An LA native, he is the pioneer of a new medium and has spent the last ten years developing his ability to create realistic art on wood with only blow torches and flamethrowers. As his skills and expertise have grown, so has the recognition he has received. With numerous live events, eight solo galleries, and numerous group shows to date, word is spreading about this highly unusual art form and the artist who developed it.

“I fell in love with using fire to create paintings during my last year as an undergrad at University of Southern California,” Zach says, smiling at the memory. “I forgot to bring paper to a drawing class, and I had to scramble to find something to draw on. I found a scrap piece of wood by a dumpster, so I grabbed that and did a charcoal drawing on it.” He pauses, laughing a little. “My professor didn’t mind my ‘canvas,’ thankfully.”

Zach liked the result so much that he started using wood panels from Home Depot instead of paper. “One day, after a few months, I was working on a wood sculpture that had lacquer on it. The pencil wasn’t picking up, however, and I was too impatient to wait for the paint to dry. I wanted the most efficient way to do an illustration, so I thought of using a small butane torch.”

Zach used the torch to burn a silhouette into a sculpture. When he discovered how well that worked, he began using the torch more and more in place of pencils. For the next ten years, he would explore a medium that no other artist in the world was using, a journey that would strengthen his skills and give him the ability to create portraits of increasing complexity. 

The type of wood he uses varies, but it is almost exclusively hard. “These days, I paint on many mahogany panels, but I also use oak, walnut, olive wood, sycamore, and even tree-of-heaven,” Zach shares. “I gravitate towards mahogany and oak, though, because they are heavier, harder, and more durable. They take longer to burn, meaning I can get more layering and details when I go over it. Soft wood burns too quickly, so I have less chance to really get those details and capture the essence of the model.”

The portraits, he continues, are between 5-8 feet tall and only take about 3 hours to create. “That’s good news for the model, of course, since I don’t work from photos,” Zach states. “I either go to the home of the person or to a live event or the model comes to my studio. We end up having a great time. I am not one of those stoic artists who insist you sit perfectly still. I have conversations with the person and get to know them, which helps with the portrait. I can capture more of their essence this way.”

Zach believes the model is not an object. “Instead, it’s more like an exchange of energy. I give them mine and vice versa. They learn about something new, and I believe that when they leave, they do so having had an unforgettable experience.”

Zach turns thoughtful when asked what it is about fire that he most enjoys. “First, let’s get it out there that I am not ‘that kid’ from school, the one who was secretly a pyro. Far from it. Instead, I have a beautiful synergy with fire. One of the things I enjoy the most is the idea of creating something beautiful with a traditionally destructive element. Fire can be dangerous, as we all know. We’ve seen the effects of forest fires. All the same, people are drawn to it, including me. What I am ultimately doing with my work is repurposing a traditionally destructive element for creative purposes, one that lets me express myself and give people the gift of having a portrait that no one else in the world can create.”

Website: www.zaronson.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/zacharyaronson