Chainsaw carving with Andrew and Shannon

What happens when your passion for wood carving takes over your life?

You leave your jobs, move out to the country and make a living as a chainsaw artist. That's what Andrew and Shannon did when they started doing woodworking projects on their Woodland Mills HM130MAX and found a love for turning wood into art.

"I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be a chainsaw carver," said Andrew, before pulling out his chainsaws and other tools and doing a live carving demonstration for members of the Woodland Mills team.

Wood carving is an art form that has captivated human creativity for centuries. This timeless craft involves shaping and detailing wood using various techniques and tools, transforming a simple piece of timber into a work of art. Over time it has evolved with modern technology and chainsaws have become the primary tools of the craft.

Chainsaw carvers like Andrew and Shannon blend modern methods with age-old techniques to create stunning pieces that preserve the natural beauty of the wood. The roar of the chainsaw and the precision of the carver’s hand come together to bring out the intricate details and unique character of each piece. It’s not just about creating beautiful objects; it’s about honoring the wood and the story it tells.

When Andrew first started doing chainsaw carving, he began with bears, making some for his wife. Shannon says the couple didn’t need multiple wooden carved bears, so she ended up putting them on Facebook Marketplace and they sold almost instantly.

If the couple put a bear or other carving on their front yard, it would be sold right away. That’s when they realized their lives were about to change.

They bought a larger property and designed the whole business around woodcarving. While bears are one of their most popular designs, it was also their first. When Andrew started carving cardinals, they also took off. Cardinals are popular for customers who have lost family or pets, and alongside bears they’ve become staples for Against the Grain Outdoors.

But there are plenty of other custom wood carvings that they do, including a gigantic wooden cowboy which towered over Shannon and Andrew in their shop. They also create intricate tree sculptures, transforming logs into detailed tree carvings.

The process starts with the couple taking stock of what projects they need to do throughout the week and planning out what to do next. The pair will go onto their property and take down whatever trees they need, being careful not to use any rotten wood or anything infested with bugs.

Once they have the logs they need, they use their HM130MAX portable sawmill to saw out the rough shapes for certain parts like the arms.

The log which will become the main body for the carving gets hauled down to Andrew's wood shop, where he starts by carving out the basic shape.

Using multiple types of chainsaws, Andrew blocks out basic features, like the ears, nose and shape of the bear's head.

He'll use a smaller chainsaw to carve out smaller details, like the eyes, fur texture and the nose.

As he cuts through, he tosses big blocks of off-cut wood in his Woodland Mills Pathlander ATV Trailer, while his shop floor becomes covered in sawdust.

As Andrew wraps up carving the basic outline of the bear, covered in sweat and sawdust, he's got a big smile as he reviews his work and shares his vision for how he'll finish the piece.

Andrew says he doesn't really like to call himself an artist, but his skill in the art form of chainsaw carving is undeniable.

It's given him and Shannon a new path in life. They have so many plans for their property, including a shop the pair recently built where they want to sell local goods, with the interior fully finished using milled lumber.

Business continues to boom and the pair are excited for the next plans for their property, none of which would be possible if it wasn't for this dramatic and exciting shift in their lives.

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