Chainsaw artist turns log into eagle during Peters Township Community Day
Joe King works on his eagle sculpture during Peters Township Community Day June 25 at Peterswood Park.
Joe King works on his eagle sculpture during Peters Township Community Day June 25 at Peterswood Park.
Joe King works on his eagle sculpture near one of his completed works, a flower-bearing bear.
Youngsters enjoy riding on the Vortex during Peters Township Community Day.
Tressa McCune coaxes a smile from son Murray during Peters Township Community Day.
A youngster enjoys a ride on the “A-train” through part of Peterswood Park.
Emilie Angel of Peters Township helps at the McMurray Rotary Club booths, where youngsters were able to make buttons using images from comic books and similar publications.
A youngster enjoys a ride on the “A-train” through part of Peterswood Park.
Youngsters get ready for a ride on the Vortex during Peters Township Community Day.
Khayree Wilson Jr. shows off his basketball-themed cookie before taking the first bite.
Kaylee Wilson shows off her face paint during Peters Township Community Day.
Kaleb Wilson enjoys a cookie during Peters Township Community Day.
Lily Murphy plays a toy horn while sister London looks at the guy with the camera during Peters Township Community Day.
Joe King takes a break to gas up his chainsaw on Saturday afternoon.
Harry Funk / Staff Joe King's handiwork was on display during Peters Township Community Day.
Chisels, gouges and knives are fine tools for most woodcarving artists.
As he demonstrated Saturday during Peters Township Community Day, Joe King takes it a gasoline-powered step further.
“The first chainsaw carving I saw was 26 years ago, and I thought, wow! What a great idea. Maybe I can do that,” King explained in midday while taking a break to fill the tank of his Stihl.
He then went back to work on what started in the morning as a log and by late afternoon was an ornate sculpture of an eagle.
“The thing about it, it’s fast,” King said about his favorite form of hewing. “It takes a lot of practice, years and years of practice, but it’s a fast way to do it. You make big things in one day, as opposed to something little that can take two weeks.”
Visitors to Peterswood Park for community day – under a clear sky, for a change! ¬- had the opportunity to see king in action, whittling away at white pine.
“It’s a soft wood, and there are two advantages,” he said about his choice of timber. “One, I can complete a big piece in one day. And the other thing is, hard wood makes more dust. With pine, it goes faster and is more fun to watch.”
Onlookers had the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for the finished product. Proceeds benefit the township parks and recreation departments, staff members of which organize and run community day, assisted by a core of dedicated volunteers.
As for King, his chainsaw-assisted artistry has turned into a business that takes him all over the country.
“I specialize in on-site tree stumps. You have the tree in your front yard, cut it down, leave the stump, and I carve it,” the Seven Springs resident said. “A lot of times there’s landscaping built around a tree, and rather than grind it out and start over, they have a statue.”
For more information, visit www.treecarver.com.