January 29, 2005 at the Washtenaw County Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, Michigan the Washtenaw County Michigan State University Extension Office is hosting this Fair.  The purpose of this Fair is to provide the information to the public about the EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) infestation throughout the southeastern part of Michigan and different options for the utilization of this valuable natural resource.

          Jim Madsen a member of the UCCG and avid participant in these shows has put together a group of chainsaw carvers to put on a carving demo.  This will be for the public to see just what we as carvers can do to help alleviate some of the problems that have come up with the homeowners and the businesses in the area.  The outrage of the public has been brought to the attention of those involved in the removal of the Ash trees and Jim has been invited in, to help with creating another alternative to just chipping up the trees and burning them.

          With the help of Scott Kuefler, his son Richard Kuefler, Robert Bing, Steph Collin and himself, Jim and these carvers will show their carvings and hopefully give the public an option for their trees that have to be removed.  They will be carving from 11am to 5pm on Saturday amongst many other individuals and businesses which are there for the same purpose. 

          There will be sawmills, tree services, landscaping, tree transplanters, wood turners and furniture makers to round out the people providing different methods of utilizing this resource, we as carvers depend on. 

Jim promotes the carvers by using a couple of catch phrases such as:

 Give a tree new life by having it carved.

 We chainsaw carvers just might be the panacea for the problem this infestation has brought upon this area.

If you are in the area please stop by and introduce yourself and there should be plenty of entertainment with these carvers showing their talents to the public.  The Fair is free to the public.  Jim has done this a few times now and his goal is to influence the public about what a chainsaw carving can do for the landscape of the area.  He also provided the information on UCCG,  Carvingpost.com and ChainsawSculptors.com so that the public has a contact to have these trees with a death sentence, get a reprieve.  This is an opportunity for the chainsaw carvers to be recognized as a valuable addition to a very artistic minded community.

Jim has worked to promote the UCCG in these efforts to make the public aware of the carvers and what they can do for the communities that have been hit very hard with the blight of this EAB.  He was interviewed by the Ann Arbor News.  The reasons were they wanted the artistic view of this project instead of the governmental concerns of the treatment and eradication of the EAB.  Not that those reasons aren’t important but that there is an alternative and chainsaw carving just might be one of the answers. 

Remember to give back to your community because they are your support line to the future.

                                                          See Ya There ! !

Bob and fellow carver Cherrie Currie.

Bob working on his piece.

Cherrie working on one of the number they had her carve.

Bob, Cindy, Cherie, and the guys from Echo that supported us throughout the show. Anything we wanted or needed they were there getting it.

Cherrie and Jesse. It was interesting to find out that he worked security when she was doing an album signing at one time.

Jesse and Bob

 By Jim Madsen

   The stump job was done for a couple in Wacousta, MI.  It started out with me coming to their home to design and carve a totem pole out in front of their home.  I designed a very elaborate totem pole and I was very excited to start on it.  They were very pleased with what I came up with so it was a green light and I was off to my first stump job with all the confidence in the world to do a great job for this couple which gave me the opportunity to show what I could create out of this 13 foot pine that was struck by lighting a couple of years back.  The wife didn't want anything to do with this project and she said it was the husband’s baby and it was up to him what to do. 
 
   They had left all the branches on it so I had this idea to incorporate them into the carving as the hackle feathers around the neck of the bird on the top of the totem pole.  It was going to be the coolest totem pole around and I was going to get to carve it. 

    Then I got a phone call the morning that I was to start on the job.  Mind you I've got my scaffolding loaded on the trailer and all the saws sharpened and everything in its place and the call came that we all dread.  " Jim, the wife doesn't want the totem pole."  So I graciously told him that I was glad he called because now I don't have to haul all this scaffolding up there and set it up.  He said, " Oh, no we want to know if you could do an old man with a walking stick instead?"  Well course I could and off I went with trailer in tow.

    Upon arriving I went into the house and we set down and I drew up old man under her direction that pleased her and I was on my way to perform my magic with the chainsaws.  I kept reminding her for someone who doesn't want anything to do with this project you sure have a lot of input.   We all had many laughs together during this carving. She wanted the big floppy wizard type of hat so that was the first thing I carved.  After I took a generous portion off the top of the stump before starting.  I told them I had to shorten the stump or it wouldn't be in proportion to the rest of the carving.  They were real happy at that point because the carving just got smaller.  I had an alternative motive also to use that piece with all the branches for something else at home.  I took the liberty to tell them that also.

    Off came the top of the stump and I began to carve the hat on the top of the carving.  I gave it a bit a character with a bend in it as not to show my inexperience by doing a hat with it being straight and pointed, like the dunce cap type. They came out with the camera and took a few pictures and I outlined where the face would be and some of the direction of where the hair and beard would go.  

    I came back the next day and started in on the hair as to give myself time to feel comfortable enough to tackle this face which I positioned just right so that when you enter their driveway you're looking right into the face of their old man.  After about an hour out came the owner asking me to change the beard to a longer one going down around the side of the robe.  With the beard already in place I told them that it wasn't a problem and off I went into the beard lengthening process.  By the time the wife got home I had the bread roughed out and all the hair.  The face was beginning to take shape but I was very leery of it so I kept jumping back to the hair and I was sure glad that there was plenty of it to work on so as to calm me down for the facial features.  I called it a day.

    On the third day I got the hair looking like hair and they began thinking this guy just might be doing something to be proud to have in our front yard.  I always kept telling them along the way that if it's not to their likings we can just cut it down and haul it away.  But there was no need for that.  The wife had the day off so she kept an eye on the progress that day.  The face came to life and the robe fell into place just like I planned.  Yeah right.  Then came the moment that we all work for.  While I was dinking around with my saws gassing them up and oiling them I caught the wife over next to the carving with her arm around one side of it saying, "I love my man."  She looked up and seen that I was watching and her face flushed a bit but I reassured her that was what it's all about and that makes me more happy than getting paid but I will still take you're money.  We laughed and I went on with the task at hand. 

    I went into the detail stage of the carving on the forth day and this carving was transforming into something that I 'm going to be proud to say I did it all with just my chainsaw.  That right I never touch this carving with anything but a chainsaw.  Every strand of hair and the folds in the robe were enhanced, right down to the toes in his sandal that sticks out from the front of his robe along with the walking stick.  I carved nonstop until dark. 

    The next day I would finish it up with a overall look at every part to see that it was just right.  Upon arriving the homeowner said that the wife was wonder when I was going to quit last night and he told her what I had told him earlier that day, " He's in the mode and he can't stop now."   All he could do is rant and rave about how cool this carving was and that I had went above and beyond the call of duty to give them just what they wanted.  The carving has taken on a bit of a new look since I finished it that day.   Including a base of stones carved in the bottom of the carving for a base. 

    I burnt it to bring out the carvings detail this impressed the homeowners.  When I showed up with the big roofing torch to set their carving on fire.  I saturated it in linseed oil deck preservative with UV and mold inhibitors for the next week so that a finish could be put on and to help cut down on the checking and cracking that would occur.  They chose a stain that I found out on the West coast that will mix with the linseed oil or the spar varnish, which would be the topcoat.  It was a violet purple for the robe and some walnut stain for the stick. The company name is wood burst and they have some of the most vivid colors of translucent stains that you will ever see.  The plus was that the homeowners liked the idea that I left it all chainsaw and they can attest to that fact because someone was always watching.  After the stain was applied the homeowner came out and handed me a fistful of hundreds and thanked me numerous times.  Being respectful of them I didn't count it in front of them.  But upon arriving at home I counted the money and he had slipped and extra hundred in there for me.  So we both were happy and pleased with the out come of this first stump job.  The homeowner elected to do the spar varnish coats so I left my scaffolding there so that he could get the job done.  Now that I've gotten my scaffolding out of there they are going to turn the ground around the carving into a rock garden.  I'll get some pictures of that when it's finished along with the stained carving also.

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