Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM

The Chainsaw Forest of Mark Chavez

2ND ST & PASEO DEL NORTE NW--For years chainsaw statues have been appearing where trees once stood. Twisting sculptures of wooden animals, of turtles and eagles, of cranes, ducks, beavers, raccoons, and woodpeckers stare improbably from lawns as our cars zip through the city. There is the wooden bear on Lead Ave. that I pass on my way to Tingley Beach. There are the front yards on Washington NE where maybe a half a dozen tree stump sculptures have settled in over the last few years. And there is a whole forest of carved logs in the open space just south of Montaño west of the Rio Grande.

Where do they come from? Who carves them? And can I get one of my own?

A Maze of Nodding Cattails

I caught up with Mark Chavez and his son Caleb on 2nd St. just north of Paseo del Norte. He was just finishing up a statue to be placed in the Durrant Park Open Space on Isleta south of Rio Bravo. I take a good look. A goose gets aloft and flies above a sea of reeds. Cattails bend and churn in the wind. A blue heron looks up. A turtle busies himself in the mud. Another goose sets on eggs almost unnoticed in the maze of nodding cattails.

Mark Chavez plugs in his extension cord. It is due in a week. The chainsaw work is done. All that remains are a few touches with a small Dremel grinder. That and the finish coat. Mark starts smoothing the turtle's back and the goose's bill. Caleb starts raking the woodchips that litter the area.

A $2500 Log
"How much would something like this cost?" I asked.
"Well, they are getting a bargain. They're paying me $3400. Just the log cost $2500."
I looked at the log he was carving. It was California redwood. It must have started out nearly 3 feet in diameter and 8 feet tall. Two more, uncarved, were nearby. Mark also works from stumps: elm, ash, cottonwood, pine, etc.

"What would a sculpture cost if I already had a tree stump?"
"That depends somewhat on the detailing and the size. Bears are the least expensive. A six foot bear out of elm and about two feet in diameter might cost $2400." I thought back to the bear on Lead Ave.

1500 Carvings
Today he would finish all the carving. Then he would burn parts of the statue with a propane torch to highlight the feathers and other parts. The final step would be sealing and varnishing the wood.

Chavez seals the wood with Penofin, a Brazilian Rosewood Oil he gets from Hunter Lumber. After he lets it dry for a week he then applies two coats of marine spar varnish. He recommends 5 or 6 coats if one has the time and money. The varnish does cost $40 per gallon. Interestingly, he said that wood pores close at about 70 degrees so to get the sealer to penetrate fully it needs to be done while it is cool.

Mark Chavez has been carving wood with a chainsaw for 11 years. I asked him how he got started. He said that on a trip to Ruidoso once he saw some guys doing it across the street from his motel. He was already heating his east mountain house with firewood so he "was pretty handy with a chainsaw." Chavez gave me a smile and looked at the piece he was working on. "So 1500 carvings later here I am!"

He also organized the chainsaw carving contest at the Balloon Fiesta every year. It is a money raiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Arbol de la Vida
"Have you seen my piece at the Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center? It's just north of Coors and Montaño on Bosque Meadows Rd. It's called 'The Tree of Life'. I made it out of a cottonwood stump. It has 26 animals in it." He said it took most of one winter to make it. And that a field full of cranes were nearby as he worked on it.

It just sounded too good to pass up, so I left for the west side. The Visitor Center is closed on Mondays, but the gate was cracked open so I drove up and walked around to the back. The patio opened up to a beautiful field...a true open space that liberates the soul and brings instant peace to a crowded mind.

And there, growing right out of the ground, stood the most incredible chainsaw sculpture I have ever seen. It did contain 26 different animals. It had some of the most intricate carving imaginable. It was a tribute to life itself. And burned right into the side facing the field were the words that said it all: ARBOL DE LA VIDA.

Comment by Grumpy on April 14, 2009 at 9:33am: Thank you, Johnny, for giving us a glimpse into this man's artwork. I see a trip to the Visitor Center in my near future.

Comment by cathyray on April 14, 2009 at 10:48am: oh yeah! I see his stuff everywhere & it always makes me so happy. great post.

Comment by JMG on April 14, 2009 at 5:51pm: So glad you posted about this guy. I always admire these sculptures and wondered who did them. I'm going to go check out that Arbol De La Vida tomorrow. Did Mark do the statues on Washington?

There is also a St. Francis stump statue - facing towards the house instead of away from it, which is kind of nice - on Marquette, I think, near Carlisle somewhere. I don't know who carved that one.

Comment by Johnny_Mango on April 14, 2009 at 6:58pm: Mark did most of the pieces on Washington. The property owner is a true collector.

Comment by Tricross on April 14, 2009 at 8:09pm: There is a beautiful sculpture of dolphins on Buena Vista between Gibson and Kathryn. I get to see it everyday as I ride by. Not sure if it was done by the same artist.

Comment by Joseph Mark Chavez on April 14, 2009 at 8:49pm: Hey Johnny, nice post thanks for representing me so well. I want to answer some of the posts, I did do most of the pieces on Washington but acouple of them were done by other carvers, I will be starting another large redwood sculpture at the Washington site in the next few weeks, you are welcome to stop if you see me carving. I did do the St Francis a few years ago, I think it is on Solano south of Lomas. And yes I did do the dolphins on Buena Vista. Im glad you all are enjoying them, thank you!. You can see some more of my stuff on my website: sandiabearcompany.com

Comment by Sí Serrano aka psychomom on April 14, 2009 at 8:59pm: I fell in love with your work too! This is one of my favorite photos.

Comment by cc on April 15, 2009 at 8:07pm: Wow so glad I read your post. What a great story and what a dedicated, creative artist! Love his smile on the photo - seems as though he is enjoying this medium. He really knows the right materials, too, it seems. Need to check out Arbol de la Vida. @ Mark Chavez - did you ever sell bears in Bernalillo?

Comment by cc on April 15, 2009 at 8:10pm: Went to your website - Mark Chavez - your bears are different from the ones I used to see in Bernalillo. Yours are cuter!

Comment by Joseph Mark Chavez on April 15, 2009 at 8:42pm: No I am not the carver in Bernalillo, that man is named Andy Anderson, he is from the Tularosa/Ruidoso area. He is a carver in our Chainsaw Carving event at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We do an event there to benefit the Make A Wish Foundastion of NM. All are welcome to come and see the magic. Be looking for information on the Fiestas website, and thanks for the kind compliments.
Mark

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