Native art made with magnifying glass

Artist hopes to present unusual portrait to Obama

Poster-sized portrait made by burning pine with magnifying glassNearly 90 hours hunched over a pine board. Almost as many waiting for the weather to be just right. Thousands of tiny burned dots. A handful of magnifying glasses, one brush and the sun.

That's what it took for Jon Beartusk to create what he hopes will be a personal gift to president-elect Barack Obama.

"I decided to start this by faith when he came (to Crow Agency) in May," he explained. "To show my faith that he would become the next president. And I finished it on Oct. 30, just before the election."

Beartusk, 35, created a poster-sized portrait of Obama by focusing sunlight through magnifying glasses to burn the image--a little-used technique called solar pyrography--onto a pine board, which Beartusk hopes to be able to present to him in person in the near future.And:Most of his works are portraits of people from the past. Beartusk, of Northern Cheyenne and Crow heritage, said he welcomes the chance to bring light to remind people of their history. His portraits include images of Crow and Northern Cheyenne warriors, Gen. George A. Custer and Jesus.

"It's more than pretty pictures," he explained. "God had me do this because he wants me to get some of these great historic figures that are in books closed on coffee tables out into the open."Comment:  So God wants people to spend 150-200 hours making a portrait with a magnifying glass. I guess this proves he works in mysterious ways.

Anyway, I'm sure glad he doesn't talk to me. <g>