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COCA Spotlight: Electricity sparks path for artist Lauren Walker to put ‘fingerprint on the world’

Deep in the bogs and marshes of English folklore — and possibly in the swamps of the humid Florida Panhandle — a traveler might encounter blue flashes of ghostly lights, or will-‘o-the-wisps. While scientists today…

Deep in the bogs and marshes of English folklore — and possibly in the swamps of the humid Florida Panhandle — a traveler might encounter blue flashes of ghostly lights, or will-‘o-the-wisps. While scientists today chalk up the natural phenomena to the breakdown of organic matter releasing a cocktail of brightly colored gases, stories about will-‘o-the-wisps captured artist Lauren Walker’s imagination.

The myth serves as the story behind naming her wood resin art business, “WillioWisps.” 

“Travelers used to think they were souls of little kids trying to play with them or lure them in,” says Walker. “You shouldn’t go near one because you’ll sink into the swamp. When winter came and the swamps froze over, people would see a hand or a foot sticking up from the mud and would say the will-o’-the-wisp got that person.” 

While Walker is fascinated by the mystery surrounding these flashing fairy lights, she wields her own kind of magic wand in the studios at Railroad Square’s Able Artists Gallery. Walker’s signature style uses fractal burning, also known as Lichtenberg.

The process creates images on wood using high-voltage electricity and a conductive solution. Donning safety gear, she burns her wood and bone pieces in the safety of her garage at home before taking them to the gallery to put on the finishing touches. 

Read the rest of the story by visiting the Tallahassee Democrat

or read more by downloading the article here.