Sugi Ban Workshop

From "Sugi Ban Workshop", Substack, Published June 13, 2026

Had absolutely perfect weather and a beautiful setting for my workshop on the Sugi Ban technique last weekend. As my first attempt at teaching this technique in a live setting (i.e., supervising people using torches), it was a great experience and PCA has asked me to teach it again this fall.

We spent a few minutes going over safety and I made sure each student could start and stop their torch safely as well as demonstrate they could torch the wood without torching themselves. As everyone finds out quickly, there is a big difference between fire for artistic effect and just setting it on fire, but it’s a pretty simple technique.

Throughout our time together I tried to reinforce a few key concepts:

• Understanding the "wabi-sabi" mindset - imperfections and actions over time produce beauty that is at once simple and complex.
• Sugi Ban works best with the cheapest, most gnarly wood like pine
• Fire acts as a time accelerator, stripping away the softer parts of the wood, leaving a texture much like driftwood
• Taking risks and trusting their instincts and aesthetic sense - characteristics that can often elevate craft into art and can be cultivated over time to become entirely new methods (e.g., carving the wood after the burning is done).

Each student was given a test stick of pine upon which to practice and then I distributed prepared wood blanks of several shapes and sizes to work with.

My favorite part is seeing the light go on when students realize they can control the flame enough to make something interesting. Not everyone wants to be an artist and not all of them will continue to use the technique, I’m sure, but hopefully our short time together encourages them to look more deeply and pay more attention to the world around them.

Many thanks to the folks at the Plymouth Center for the Arts, especially Jeanne, for making it such a pleasant and rewarding experience for all of us.