Meet Blake Solo | Pyrographic Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Blake Solo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Blake, why did you pursue a creative career?
Originally I didn’t intend too! I was always a scientific minded person when it came to school, so when I went to college I sort of fell into the scientific path. It wasn’t until I was wrapping up my Associates of Science that I realized I was going to do something I wasn’t passionate about. A lot of my friends were creatives, most of them being glass blowers here in Colorado. So I decided at that point to switch paths in school and change my major. It took years into the BFA program that I was getting so busy with creating art myself that I decided to leave school and pursue it full time!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My art is mostly cork based, hence the name The Cork Connect. I woodburn on cork surfaces mostly although I do still burn directly onto wood depending on the project. Im most proud of the journey I took to get to where I am. I started woodburning small corks you can find at most stores when I was in school, thinking I found the hobby I’d love for life, and an easy way to make cool gifts for my friends and family for the holidays. But redeveloping my skills overtime and incorporating what I learned in college to the point of making this a full time career is beyond anything I could have dreamed of or asked for. It’s like I get paid to goof off, full time now!! Getting to this point was never easy, but imagining anything else for my life at this point seems so much harder than all the late nights, lost projects, failed attempts and lessons learned. The biggest thing is to just believe in yourself, your craft, and take the leap!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best friend Drew who runs Mile High Gallery, lives in Denver! But if he didn’t, I’d have to make sure we’d visit Garden of the Gods for a hike, Red Rocks for a show, and a few places to eat like Uchi and Uncle. Depending on the season maybe a trip to Winter Park for a few runs down the Apline Slide, or the Springs to check out the Hot Air Ballon Festival in the summertime wouldn’t be out of the question!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give a shout out to my good friend Nathan Miers! He has helped me in so many ways along my creative path, it would be crazy to think I wouldn’t be where I am today without everything he’s done. From encouraging me in the very beginning to take the leap of faith, to giving me countless good ideas for things to create over the years. Nathan is one of the most creative and fearless dudes I know when it comes to mixing his passion with business.

Website: http://thecorkconnect.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecorkconnect/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMYADjR95VP5VRknwm9PcWw

Other: Blake@thecorkconnect.com

Image Credits
Blake Solo