It may look like a frog, but it used to be a log

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
By Sheila Hagar
Saturday, July 16, 2005

MILTON-FREEWATER - If the smell of hot metal and fresh sawdust wasn't a tip-off, the roar of chainsaws and the whine of power sanders would have given notice something new was in town.

Milton-Freewater's Community Development Partnership sponsored the city's first ``Logs to Frogs' chainsaw carving event on Saturday, attracting 10 professional and semi-pro chainsaw artists from around the Northwest. The theme tied in with the town's frog-branding campaign, designed to draw attention and tourists to the community of about 6,500.

Under a searing sun tempered with a slight breeze, the carvers from Oregon and Washington were on hand to show what could be wrought from a 5-foot log with little more than steel and grit.

And a lot of sweat.

With muscular forearms tanned to the color of cedar, the artists bent over in the mid-day heat to make short work of the spruce in front of them for the ``quick-carve' competition.

In an hour and 15 minutes of zipping saws and flying sanders - wedged into the middle of eight hours of more contemplative carving - the competitors showed the magic of the medium.

The work of this particular contest would later be auctioned off, while the main entries would be judged by three local judges, all experienced woodworkers.

Monetary prizes would be awarded for the top three pieces and a People's Choice.

``Warm,' was Bob King's opinion of the event. He and wife Cindy had come from Edgewood, Wash., to compete.

At the moment - with sawdust in his nose and atop his scalp - King was wresting an eagle perched on a fishing pier from a log that minutes before had looked like...well, a log.

King, 41, has been carving for seven years and supporting his family with it for almost five, he said.

Chainsaw art is venturing away from ``funky' and into the fine arts, with more and more detail, King said.

He was the 2004 champion of the English Open chainsaw competition in Sandringham, England, ``the Queen's summer estate.' While King didn't spot any of the royal family, he remains hopeful Queen Elizabeth and her entourage may stop in for the next one. ``They can hang out with some American rednecks.'

King will attend six more competitions this year, including one in Australia. He is fresh from the sixth annual Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championship in Reedsport, Ore.

``We're a curious oddity,' King said. ``We take this loud, obnoxious, destructive piece of equipment and in very short period of time, we can carve and sculpt a beautiful piece of art.'

As if to prove a point, King brandished a propane torch to bring out the eagle's spruce feathers, burnishing the wood from golden brown to black. Suddenly, the eagle went from Pinocchio-like to seemingly ready for flight, merely waiting for the right fish to pass under its sharp eyes.

In front of King's canopied carving arena, amidst whimsical bears and planters, a German shepard kept wooden eyes fixed to a distant horizon, the black nose smooth and shiny - only touch could tell it wasn't wet and cold.

With tongue lolling and one ear notched as if from canine battle, the dog's hair lay in ridged detail along its shoulders. Every few minutes, children came to stare at the pooch, their hands reaching to scratch behind wooden ears.

For $850, the dog was ready to go with a potential owner.

Other than the heat, the Kings were pleased with the event. The fact that it had drawn so many artists in its first year spoke well of the city's efforts, he said. ``We carvers are a finicky bunch. We usually won't come without a local carver on the scene.'

However, Milton-Freewater did its homework by coming to the Reedsport event and doing research, Cindy noted.

``It's good they started small and plan to grow' rather than biting off morethan they could saw, she said. The number of local helpers was impressive also. ``Usually there is one volunteer, and the rest we have to pay.'

If the city can keep it up, Milton-Freewater could become a destination location for carvers, Bob said.

The orchestration of the event gave the organizers points, said artist Jessie Groeschen of Langley, Wash. She has been carving since 1990 and is author of the book, ``Art of Chainsaw Carving,' due out in September.

Groeschen, 37, said it's not the tool she's attracted to but the art. And while some artists have favorite tool brands, ``my favorite chainsaw is the one that works.'

Wiping her hands on insulated chaps, the artist explained the leggings were part of the safety precautions most competitions now require. Made of Kevlar, the fabric is designed to stop a runaway chainsaw before it hits skin, she said.

At about $50, ``it's a lot cheaper than a hospital visit.'

Groeschen was the winner of the first ``Women in Art' chainsaw series in Tacoma in 2003, and has finished in the top 10 in several other competitions. She also competed in the English Open last year.

Camaraderie between fellow carvers is as important as winning, Groeschen said. ``Everyone helps everyone else out. We're quick to loan out tools.'

The competitions are really as much about socializing as winning, she believes.

"Out here, we just carve in these small get-togethers. Then the next thing you know, we're in the Queen's backyard," referring to the United Kingdom contest.

While not exactly the English countryside, Milton-Freewater had some things going for it. Snugged up next to Highway 11, the gravel lot is owned by Sallee Chevrolet. The company donated its use, said organizer Fran Anderson of the Milton-Freewater Chamber of Commerce.

"This really works better than grass. You have to clean up after this somehow,' she said.

College Place residents Matt and Elizabeth Heinrich didn't seem to mind the scorching ground underfoot as they watched carver Jerry Miller from Weston.

"It's really incredible to see what they can do with a chainsaw," Matt said.

"More than anything, the process is fascinating", Elizabeth said. "We enjoy all types of art. It's amazing to see what can come out of logs."

The 12-hour event drew several hundred spectators, estimated Mike Walton, M-F community development supervisor. In addition, the resulting art "opens our eyes to what's available," he said.

"With the positive comments we've received throughout the day, I'm sure the city is going to look at doing this again next year."