PiBurner
We first met Yasmany through a mutual friend who hung out on the same laser forums as we did. I immediately fell in love with Yazo’s creative flair and knew that we needed to get a PiBurn in his hands immediately. Since then, we have become friends and it’s been incredible to watch Yazo’s business grow and develop. But most of all, I value his unique creativity and his whole creative process. It’s a gift that I knew needed to be shared with our readers. And so… let’s dive in and learn how he got here and what drives this amazing artist to keep creating.
He now lives with his wife and two young boys (3, and 7 years old) in the beautiful Florida Keys.
And yes all their family photos do look like an advertisement of a picture-perfect family on a fancy paradise vacation.
Yasmany reflects a lot of the characteristics I value in people, namely, he is genuine and thoughtful; humble and generous; creative and giving.
And although he is soothingly calm to converse with, he can be very vigorous, driven, focused, and very determined when it comes to work.
In his words…
He attended art and graphic design schools and in later years developed a deep love for photography.
Even though he is never satisfied with his own skills, pushing to always improve, his work won acclaim and recognition. On various occasions, Yasmany had his photographs showcased in galleries and even had his work featured at the University of Art and Design in Miami Fl.
Like everyone else we know, Yazo went through some changes and some disruption due to the pandemic – and he had to adapt.
He made certain changes including leaving photography behind, consciously putting his passion on a temporary hold. But he had a goal in mind and he wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way. Working a very stressful job, he was able to save enough capital to buy his first laser! And now, he has channeled all that creative drive and experience into something new, something that would grant him a reliable income stream for his family.
His machine of choice was a BOSS LASER LS2436 that he purchased from a friend. And to this day, this is still the machine he currently uses and loves.
Of course, like everything worth learning, it came with a learning curve.
But it’s Yazo is not one to give up. After doing his research, asking tons of questions, and finding the right folks to help him on his journey, he became proficient and then became an expert in his craft, eventually coming to a place where HE is now the one helping people get started.
Several experts helped him along his journey:
Using the PiBurn allows Yazo to handle very precise designs that he loves creating. Also, it allows him to engrave on a large range of tumblers, even those with large handles.
But what I personally love the most are his full-wrap designs and those with textured imagery. They make very unique, captivating, and striking drinkware and always make a strong impression – most definitely a statement of art. I bought several for my kids and my wife from his Etsy store and the kids just love them!
It’s incredible to see Yazo’s love for his family, his home, and movies and even video games translate into motivation for the unique and captivating designs he brings us each day in his work.
Yazo, it’s an honor to have our tool in your capable hands, keep growing, keep creating and keep inspiring.
And of course, thank you for inspiring others, and thank you for being a PiBurner!
Happy PiBurning!
Len and Stan
PiBurner of the week: Yasmany R. Lazo
Let’s celebrate our PiBurner of the week!
Yasmany R. Lazo (Yazo)
owner at
Btala (btala.Etsy.com)
It’s a real joy to tell you all about Yasmany and share some of his creative passion with you
We first met Yasmany through a mutual friend who hung out on the same laser forums as we did. I immediately fell in love with Yazo’s creative flair and knew that we needed to get a PiBurn in his hands immediately. Since then, we have become friends and it’s been incredible to watch Yazo’s business grow and develop. But most of all, I value his unique creativity and his whole creative process. It’s a gift that I knew needed to be shared with our readers. And so… let’s dive in and learn how he got here and what drives this amazing artist to keep creating.
About Yazo
Yasmany R. Lazo (Yazo) was born on the beautiful island of Cuba, just a very short 34 years ago! In his wordsA country of old cars, rum, habanos and salsa. A beautiful, CHAOTIC and yet culture rich little Island.
He now lives with his wife and two young boys (3, and 7 years old) in the beautiful Florida Keys.
And yes all their family photos do look like an advertisement of a picture-perfect family on a fancy paradise vacation.
Yasmany reflects a lot of the characteristics I value in people, namely, he is genuine and thoughtful; humble and generous; creative and giving.
And although he is soothingly calm to converse with, he can be very vigorous, driven, focused, and very determined when it comes to work.
In his words…
I encourage fighting for what you desire and believe – because nothing great comes easy.There is ancient wisdom in those words. In his book, “The Obstacle is the Way”, Ryan Holiday taps ancient stoic ideas that great things deserve great effort, and the reason something is difficult can actually be used to your advantage. Think about that the next time you are faced with a challenging project – your competition is also facing these challenges. Who will keep trying and prevail and who will give up?
His Art
Yazo has always been artistically inclined. Check out just some of his work:
He attended art and graphic design schools and in later years developed a deep love for photography.
Even though he is never satisfied with his own skills, pushing to always improve, his work won acclaim and recognition. On various occasions, Yasmany had his photographs showcased in galleries and even had his work featured at the University of Art and Design in Miami Fl.
Like everyone else we know, Yazo went through some changes and some disruption due to the pandemic – and he had to adapt.
He made certain changes including leaving photography behind, consciously putting his passion on a temporary hold. But he had a goal in mind and he wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way. Working a very stressful job, he was able to save enough capital to buy his first laser! And now, he has channeled all that creative drive and experience into something new, something that would grant him a reliable income stream for his family.
His machine of choice was a BOSS LASER LS2436 that he purchased from a friend. And to this day, this is still the machine he currently uses and loves.
Of course, like everything worth learning, it came with a learning curve.
But it’s Yazo is not one to give up. After doing his research, asking tons of questions, and finding the right folks to help him on his journey, he became proficient and then became an expert in his craft, eventually coming to a place where HE is now the one helping people get started.
Several experts helped him along his journey:
During my first 3 months, with the Boss Laser, I meet Ben Gonzales a very knowledgeable person who offered me good advice when I needed it. Several other helpful people like Chris Veit, all took time to help me on my journey.
How did you come across the PiBurn?
Ben put me in touch with Stan and Len, the creators of this amazing company LensDigital – the makers of the PiBurn. I recognized the quality right away and knew that this is the tool I need for my projects if I wanted to take my tumbler game to the next level. Also, the design was definately eye-catching and better than any other rotary I have seen.Well, those words meant a lot coming from him, and we are happy to have grown to be friends over the last year or so. To watch Yazo put the PiBurn to such fantastic use and leverage it as a creative outlet for his talents has been exceptionally rewarding. And a whole lot of fun!
Using the PiBurn allows Yazo to handle very precise designs that he loves creating. Also, it allows him to engrave on a large range of tumblers, even those with large handles.
But what I personally love the most are his full-wrap designs and those with textured imagery. They make very unique, captivating, and striking drinkware and always make a strong impression – most definitely a statement of art. I bought several for my kids and my wife from his Etsy store and the kids just love them!
What have you learned on your journey?
Several things. After many conversations with folks that are in this game for a while, and then walking that same path, the main takeaway was to take time to really get to know your tools and software. Another important thing I’ve learned is to TRY TRY TRY and never stop trying. That’s my advice to newcomers. I know its intimidating and lots of us including myself we have very little room in our budgets for wasted materials. But you have to climb the ladder to know what’s on top even when others help you and offer you the answers to your problem you will still have to tinker and adapt to that current problem and the next one coming!In fact, Yazo always makes himself available to help fellow PiBurners on our support forum where he is one of our designated group experts. What does he ask in return for helping you with your tumbler designs? Of course, do your homework first and put in the effort ahead of time. Give him a bit of time to get back to you (as he has another full-time job) and finally, once you get help and learn, pass that knowledge on to others who also need your help!
What inspires you?
When it comes to inspiration my family is the biggest, I have two small boys that are on the Autism spectrum (highly functioning), and OH BOY! they are VERY SMART!Coming from a very poor country, you are self-taught to be ambitious and fight for success. But I won’t lie, I get my lazy streaks which I know is something I am working on. I am my own harshest critic and always wanting to be better pushes me! Currently living in the Florida Keys – maybe I don’t appreciate the beauty as much I should. When you live in a place and work all the time, it is hard to truly appreciate the raw beauty of your surroundings. But I can say it’s very beautiful and calming and often inspiring to my work. I know that if I am away from here for long, I truly miss it. Living down here you will get to learn to love fishing and the sunsets… Oh man, the sunsets are killer – and a great fodder for fans of photography like myself. Besides photography: its creating digital art and lasering, and I also enjoy painting and drawing. I’d like to think I’m okay at it, but who knows, I just do it for fun. I also enjoy cooking, collecting figurines, old retro gaming consoles and very time consuming activities like video games! Horizon Zero Dawn is a good one! Like movies, games often inspire me to create some unique artwork and with my PiBurn I can turn anything into a tumbler. But of course, most of all, my FAMILY inspires me and time spent with them is what I really LOVE. It goes by quick so I make the most of it.Well, reading this makes me want to pack up and leave New Jersey for a long South Florida vacation.
Examples of favorite projects
We absolutely love these unique designs, and the expression, character, and precision in this work is just next level. See for yourselves: