“How
much for the chainsaw carving of
the bear?” The question is a common query
at craft shows and events all across the U.S.,
Great Britain and Europe these days. Chainsaw
carvings make wonderful lawn decorations
as well as interesting family room or foyer pieces.
This art is fascinating because of the unexpected
expression and detail that can be created with
it. It is fast becoming an interesting and profitable
hobby. One of the most familiar pieces of chainsaw
art is the carved bear. The design for the chainsaw
carving bear was one of the first developed and
has been copied extensively. As the popularity
of carvings have raised, the numbers of
designs have also increased. Almost anything that
can be imagined can be whittled out of a log with
a properly equipped chainsaw.
The
starting point with any artwork, like
all art, is the idea and a log. Carvers say
the log often lends itself to the finished
piece. They say they can ‘see’ the
result they want to make before they make even
the first cut. A rough design is often marked
on the log with chalk to help guide the carver
as the sawing is undertaken.
Designs
reflect the chainsaw carver
Chainsaw
artwork designs reflect the carver and may
also reflect a culture. For example, a carver
may specialize in African designs or Native
American designs. These pieces of chainsaw
art are patterned after traditional pieces
representative of the culture. For example,
African designs often use a minimum of straight
cuts and are fashioned from round timbers and
twigs. Native American designs also use round
timber but differ dramatically from African
designs.
Not
only is it an interesting form of artistic
expression; it can also be a profitable hobby.
A growing number of people are happily exercising
their skills and artistic
vision in their garages and backyards and then
selling the pieces at crafts fairs, flea markets
and other outdoor events. These pieces, depending
upon size piece and the skill of the carver,
often sell for several hundred dollars each.
For a skilled carver this can become a very
lucrative hobby.
For
people interested in learning more about chainsaw
carving, there is a wealth of information on
the Internet. There are websites for people
displaying work and also websites of carving
schools that will teach chainsaw carving basics.
Tips and guides are also available online.
|
