By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

When David Raines had Q-Team cut the top off a massive tree on his front lawn, unlike most people, he decided to save the remaining 20-foot trunk for a better purpose than firewood.

He called Josh Landry — chainsaw sculptor.

For 11 days, the North Anson artist transformed the towering tree trunk into an eye-catching, highly-detailed nature scene which includes bears, an owl and an eagle.

“When people hear chainsaw carving, they automatically think rough. They don’t think like I do. I am all about detail, flow, movement — the pieces feeling like they are alive,” he said.

Artistic as a kid, Josh was always drawing.

“I loved art class. I didn’t like anything else in school. When I was 15, I saw a guy in my town, a local chainsaw carver. It was like, I want to do this. When I saw I could carve things better than I imagined, I was really addicted to it. I started carving and I didn’t want to stop,” he said. “I could carve even better than I could draw. I was hooked. I wanted to get better and better. So, I practiced, a lot.”

For about 20 years now, Josh has studied wildlife and perfected his skills using a chainsaw as his chisel.

“I look at photos of animals all the time — see how they move, see their gestures,” he said. “I also really enjoy working with different clients, finding out what they really want and how to tell that story with the carvings.”

When Josh spoke with Dave and Val Raines, he learned that the tree had been down a while, so he expected some rot inside the trunk.

“So, my plan was to work with the tree. I knew there might be some bad spots. There’s still a lot of strength left in the tree. I drilled into it and put some preservatives in to prolong the longevity of the tree. It’s really been a fun project. Everyone in the town has been great. Awesome,” said Josh who spent 11 days here, his first visit to Bridgton and the Lake Region. “Everybody is very welcoming and have been enjoying watching the process. As I was carving a few feathers, a couple of kids came by with their parents. One of the things I really like is me, my wife and son, we travel together and constantly meet new people, nice people. Bridgton is fantastic.”

Josh says he makes the saw do things it’s not supposed to. “They are not meant to do such graceful, beautiful things. They’re aggressive. They’re a serious power tool. You have to respect them,” he noted.

Josh takes pride in the amount of detail that he can get with only using a chainsaw.

“I can carve a piece that almost looks sanded and like it’s been chiseled — and I’ve only used the saw. That’s from hours and hours, days and years of practice and muscle memory, having that saw being an extension of my hands carving,” said Josh, who likes to listen to classical music when he is either trying to figure out a cut or needing to pay close attention to a specific detail. “It’s more than a carving. I want everything to look like it’s moving and lifelike with expression — be it a bear having a little grin or an eagle having a serious, majestic look. I just try to personalize each of the animals and give them their own character. I also want it to tell a story. I see myself as a preservationist. I see myself preserving people’s stories in nature.”

Trees been around some people for generations. When it comes time to take them down, it can be upsetting, Josh says. He looks to bring that tree back to life and bring joy back to it.

“I hear people say, ‘I hate to see that tree come down.’ What better way to give life back to it and pay tribute than to do a nice sculpture out of it,” Josh said. “Hopefully, people will see this and when they’re getting ready to cut down trees, they think of me.”

Earlier this week, Josh planned to return to airbrush the sculpture with a stain and go over that with a wood finish. He likes to check on carvings every year or two to be sure they are standing up to the test of time and weather.

“I’m very happy with the end result. It turned out to be a beautiful piece. I really liked the flow and twisting the tree has, it’s not just a straight tree. Like it almost has kind of a whimsical look,” Josh added.

Josh has done work across the state, including at the Bangor home of Stephen and Tabitha King. There was a dead ash tree in the front yard, and Tabitha had an idea to turn it into a sculpture featuring books and animals. Josh and his chainsaws brought that vision to life.

“If they (a client) say I don’t believe you can do it in wood, challenge accepted,” Josh said. “I can’t wait. I want these carvings to last generations.”

For more about Josh Landry, go to his website at joshlandry.com