Burning inspiration

Burning inspiration

November 27, 2001

Sonja Horoshko displays a sample kit containing booklets, rag paper, feathers and other items that will accompany her willow charcoal when it is sold.

By Gail Binkly
Journal Managing Editor

For years Sonja Horoshko struggled to find supplies for the budding young artists in her workshops. Then, one day when she saw some locals burning brush in McElmo Canyon, she realized the answer to her problem had been under her nose all along.

That moment of inspiration recently won Horoshko, a Cortez resident and owner of the Art Juice Studio on Maple Street, a $10,000 "Build Your Own Business" grant from Oxygen, a national cable network.

Ever since she worked as artist-in-residence at Hovenweep National Monument in 1995 and ’96, Horoshko had been scrounging for supplies for her "Drawing Together" workshops, which brought students to scenic Four Corners sites to sketch in the outdoors.

"When I was artist-in-residence at Hovenweep, I went there with no project funding or money for materials," she said. But the "Drawing Together" concept had ignited considerable local interest and she found herself with 45 students, Navajos from the reservation adjoining the national monument.

Horoshko and her pupils had to seek materials wherever they could find them.

"We used soil at times," she recalled, "sidewalk chalk, markers and pencils people left behind — whatever was there. We drew on paper bags."

As she continued her workshops, Horoshko became aware that willow, a tree that produces excellent drawing charcoal, was regarded by rural residents as an invasive and troublesome species.

"In the next couple years, I saw people burning ditch, burning willow, in McElmo Canyon," she said. "Willow drawing charcoal is the finest, most fluid and most responsive drawing material ever, and it’s very expensive. So the light bulbs went off and I began to do research."

She discovered that most willow drawing charcoal (not compressed drawing charcoal) was manufactured overseas. To learn about the process, though, she had to go back to the Renaissance. In a book on the period she found a recipe for producing willow charcoal.

"I had to sort of interpret the recipe," she said. "I used it as a model."

She began making her own drawing charcoal in a time-consuming process that involves putting willow sticks into metal containers and heating them in pits for 12 hours, then allowing them to dry.

"I’d make it for each workshop, each grant I got. I would make it a can at a time, 30 sticks at a time, and we’d use it up and make it again.

"As time went on, it became a better and better product."

Horoshko sensed it was time to move her enterprise to a higher level. That move got a big push when she won the Oxygen grant.

Oxygen is a women’s cable network seen in 29 million homes nationwide. Ironically, it isn’t available in Cortez, and Horoshko doesn’t have a TV anyway. But that didn’t stop her from applying for the grant.

"My son’s girlfriend in Portland called me and said, ‘Look at oxygen.com.’ They were offering the grant. I saw it was not for not-for-profits and would all go to the business, which really interested me."

Earlier this month, she was notified that she was one of three winners of the second annual grant, which is designed to encourage female small-business entrepreneurs. She was chosen from among more than 9,000 entrants, according to Sarah Chaikin, spokesperson for Oxygen.

Susanne Smith, director of affiliate marketing for Oxygen Media, said a seven-member panel rated the entries on their economic viability, the candidate’s qualifications, the creativity of the business plan, and the business plan itself.

Last year’s winners had plans for a sportswear-design firm, a makeup boutique, and a yarn-sales business, all in the East. This year’s other two winners also had urban-type proposals, in Florida and Virginia.

Horoshko’s project and its earthy nature stuck out, Smith said. "In comparison with the other two, yes, it was very unusual. She really showed a need for her business and she has a lot of experience as to why it will be successful and how she plans to create this mixture from plants."

The Oxygen grant provides each winner with $10,000, Dell computer equipment, a trip to New York City, and financial and marketing help, all of which will be very welcome, Horoshko said.

"The $10,000 will keep me alive while I put my energy into getting this started," she said.

Horoshko is working with several landowners to harvest and burn willow — Leroy Martinez in Dolores, Michael Leonetti of the San Cosmo Vineyards in Dolores, Sarah Martin in Bluff, and Eli and Diane Tso of Cajon Mesa. Muscanell Millworks near Lewis has been collaborating with her on tests to see what wood produces the right heat for the best charcoal.

"When I got the grant, I knew we had to develop a model that was completely reliable and produces quality willow charcoal in really great quantities," Horoshko said.

Horoshko said all this means she will have to charge for the charcoal she once gave away, but the change is necessary.

"Although I’ve always given it away in these workshops to the young artists throughout the region, it’s now for sale.

"Now I have a responsibility to make certain that the people who have committed to making it are also paid. I cannot afford at this point to continue to give it away, but I will budget for it in grants."

But while the Oxygen grant has spurred Horoshko to intensify her charcoal-production process, she doesn’t plan to go too far. "What we’re not going to do is build a factory," she said. "We have set up, so far, four firing pits at people’s homes. It will grow as demand grows. This can be done at the convenience of people’s lifestyles."

Horoshko said she is "completely in love" with the willow-charcoal process.

"It’s an organic process and that’s very important. It’s something that comes of the earth and is fired with air and fire and water."

Hoping to broaden the ecological benefits of the project, Horoshko is testing tamarisk, an invasive non-native tree, for use as well as willow.

She is also trying to develop another product, a liquid charcoal, for painting. She hopes her new business will receive economic-development grants and become a boon for the area.

"This will employ people," she said. "It has the potential to grow."

Horoshko will be featured on Oxygen’s finance show, "Laura Pedersen’s Your Money & Your Life" on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. EST and on the network’s news show "Pure Oxygen" on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at noon EST.