Hello
I still remember the first time that I saw this art form. We were going to Minnesota on a family fishing trip & we stopped at a truck-stop outside of the Twin Cities for breakfast. They had these chainsaw carved bears outside. I still remember being amazed when I found out that they were carved with a chainsaw. That was probably about 23 years ago. Since then we have gone back to Minnesota most years to go fishing.
About 14 years ago we were getting ready to go & some of the family couldn't join us for a couple of days. Well, I told my Dad that I would go fishing with him in the mornings if we could go look at chainsaw carvings in the afternoons when we weren't fishing. I was extremely lucky in finding an excellent carver who let me watch him for a little while and gave me some tips on what I needed if I wanted to start carving. I would like to Sincerely Thank both him & his wife for allowing me to watch them work for a little while.
When I got home I decided that I was going to try it. I'd never used a chainsaw before I tried this. My idea of cutting wood was my Dad cutting it & we kids loading it. When I started, I thought "If it turns out horrible I will only have made firewood & we had a wood burning stove."
My very fist bear I named "Porkchop" because it was touch-&-go there for a while as to whether it was going to be a bear or a pig. I was so proud when I finally got him done, amazed when other people actually knew what he was & thrilled when someone wanted to buy him!
I have now been carving for about 15 years. I am still completely fascinated with this art form. I believe that everyone is given a gift of some kind or other. I consider this a God Given Gift and I thank the Lord for it everyday. If you find something that you truly enjoy doing and you can make a living at it, then I believe that you are truly blessed.
Almost 11 years ago I was in a car accident and suffered back & neck injuries. As a result 10 years ago I had lumbar fusion surgery and had to have discs fused & rods & cages put in. As a result, I can't run the gas powered saws like I used to, but my Dad blocks things out for me and I do all of the detail. So, now I have to choose what work I can do, but I still welcome any interest in our work. I hope that I am able to keep carving & learning for years to come. If you have any questions please email & ask.
Thank you for your interest.
