Chainsaw Carving

Chainsaw carving the art of turning wood into smaller pieces of wood that look like animals, faces, symbols and art. Wood carving has been around forever but use of power tools being used to turn wood into art is fairly new.

My name is robert lyon with the woodcarvers and I have been professionally chainsaw carving for 7 years, I chainsaw carve nearly everyday and have gotten very good. I enjoy chainsaw carving mostly because of the freedom but learning how to be a sculpture has been a incredible journey because I really had no art skill to speak of… I used to draw and make music but i had never even worked with clay or used a chainsaw lucky for me I had great mentors and as soon as I started chainsaw carving I was hooked. 

When I started chainsaw carving I made ugly stuff…. I of course thought they were cool but looking back now I was lying they were ugly, funny looking stuff. But as with anything in life practice, practice and you will improve. 

I first learned the basics of patterns and shapes. I really improved the most once I was able to memorize a pattern and then repeat the same motions over and over.

I became a production carver a speed carver I always thought I would an artist but I was more like a factory. All I knew was I was getting paid to learn how to chainsaw carve. As I learned and speed carved I got better tools and learned how to improve my craft but my carving were still just okay.

 Even after I got that fast and had better tools I struggled to improve the way my sculptures looked on till I started drawing and looking at pictures. Drawing really helped as well as studying the anatomy of animals and people and then drawing it and then carving it allowed me to break out of carving mediocre art and took my work to the next level. 

I still get better at chainsaw carving everyday and every piece I make is special as I improve more and more as well as learn more and more.

My best advice for anyone chainsaw carving is be safe, wear a mask and chaps, draw and chop, chop chop and most importantly enjoy your work.