MASSILLON, Ohio — Many artists require peace and quiet while they work but a select few need ear protection.
Jack Riese of LumberJack Chainsaw Art is one of those artists. He retired in 1998 and now spends his days sculpting tree trunks into works of art. He uses a chainsaw as his primary tool.
Riece prefers to work with pine wood, especially if the tree trunk has been cut into a log so it can be transported.
“That’s the stuff that’s the lightest to handle... Those [tree trunks] are a lot lighter than having an oak or a cherry, but it holds up just as good," said Riece.
Riece works side-by-side with Pat Holbert, business partner and friend for 25 years. Holbert has also been carving since '98.
Each work of art begins with a process called blocking.
“Where you take off the biggest pieces. Then you model and try to refine the shape. Then you detail, where you put the detail into the face. So you start with a big saw and you keep working down to small saws,” said Holbert.
Holbert especially enjoys creating art inspired by Native American culture. Before retirement, he worked as an American history teacher.
"I was always caught up in the West and the plight of Native Americans and things like that,” he said.
Each work can take between 90 minutes and several days. The pair also carve trees that are still rooted in the ground. Riece says it's a great alternative to completely cutting down a tree, especially if it has sentimental value. For example, if a tree on a private property was planted by a relative and broke during a storm, Riece and Holbert can often salvage the stump and turn it into a piece of art.
“He and I have a really good time... We just enjoy trying to get better and better at it... and as long as I see that I’m improving, I enjoy it,” said Riece.
For more information, contact Jack Riece at lumberjackohio@yahoo.com or (330) 844-2734.