My name is Arnold Siegmund and I live in Trofaiach, Austria.

My mother has her roots in the Köflach area, while my father comes from northern Slovenia (then Gottschee, Ebenthal, now Kocevje). My grandfather and his family had to flee to Austria during the turmoil of the Second World War.

After several serious operations on my spine, I had to give up my job as a plant fitter in 2022.

I came to pyrography, as I practise it today, through my wonderful wife Ivonne. She has my back when things get too much and, with her love, makes sure that I think of my loved ones too. She was my first client. Unfortunately, my first attempts failed miserably. But from simple Easter bunnies, I was able to develop my skills to such an extent that I can now “burn” portraits.

I would like to emphasize that all my work is done exclusively by hand.

“My picture is called “Tree of Life” and I put portraits of people from different ethnic backgrounds in it. The tree of life has a symbolic meaning in many cultures and religions. In many cultures, the tree of life is seen as a symbol of life itself, as it represents growth, strength and fertility. It is often seen as a link between heaven and earth, symbolizing the unity of body and spirit. In times like these, where war, hatred, division, ignorance, greed, striving for power, avarice and envy dominate our lives, we should rather focus on our positive values such as love, tolerance, respect, humility, friendship, working together instead of against each other, justice and peacefulness.”

Facebook: Arnold- Da Huizbrenna

E-Mail: da.huizbrenna@gmail.com