Chainsaw sculptures by Steve Tresvik. Courtesy of Jenny Moore.
On a recent morning, I was lucky enough to tag along as chainsaw artist Steve Tresvik carved, buffed, and sanded out the final details of one particularly plucky young pig. Cast about the yard of his Covington workshop were tree trunks of various species and sizes, each awaiting inspiration. Sawdust formed dunes around our feet.
Inside the workshop itself were projects in varying stages of completion, more than a dozen chainsaws in graduating sizes, hand-carving tools, sanders, air compressors, torches, paint, and stain, as well as leather chaps, gloves, noise-cancelling headphones, and goggles.
As an artist, Tresvik’s canvas is wood. His brushes comes with a motor. I was able to see some of his finished work: pelicans, alligators, owls, eagles, foxes, and bears—some taller than the artist himself. Behind it all stands the quiet, unassuming New York transplant who’s found a way to make his retirement years meaningful.
It actually all began when a lifelong dream fell through. “I entered the Navy hoping to be a Seal,” he explained. When a medical condition precluded that plan, Tresvik found himself on kitchen duty, where he was surprised to discover his own aptitude as a cook. When his tour was over, he enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, then landed a job as a chef with the catering arm of the Hyatt Hotel chain, where, for the next four decades, he worked in major cities across the country.
As he did, he decided to try his hand at carving ice sculptures, beginning with a simple five-prong chipper and often ending with sore, bloodied hands. As fate would have it though, he worked one catering gig alongside a professional chainsaw artist from Japan. The latter was happy to take Tresvik under his wing, giving him pointers and guiding him in the purchase of professional ice-sculpting tools. Tresvik’s inner artist awakened, he began carving elaborate sculptures of angels and mermaids, towering mountain scenes with deer and tigers, seahorses with champagne spouting from their mouths, and anything else the occasion required.
His reputation grew, and soon he was catering events and creating ice sculptures for exclusive events held in honor of folks the likes of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, for the East Room of the White House and the Nixon Library, and for NFL-sponsored events during six Super Bowls. He even catered Richard Nixon’s funeral, with five living U.S. presidents in attendance.
When he finally retired and moved to the Louisiana Northshore with his wife, Maria, Tresvik assumed his carving days were behind him. Still, in the back of his mind, he wondered whether the skills he’d honed with ice could possibly transfer to wood.
Chainsaw sculptures by Steve Tresvik. Courtesy of Jenny Moore.
Dozens of YouTube videos and a few false starts later, Tresvik began tentatively carving bears and displaying them around his workshop on a busy road between Covington and Folsom. Soon, drivers were stopping and asking to buy his pieces. Then came requests for commissioned work.
He’s never had to advertise, has no website, nor a business card. But for the last six years, word of mouth has drawn flocks of people to his door. These days, he typically has a waiting list of ten to fifteen commissioned pieces. “Maria has to remind me that this is a hobby, not a second career,” he said. “I’m supposed to be retired and enjoying a slower pace.”
The requests keep rolling in though, for signs and benches, religious statues, and memorial tributes. Louisiana animals are popular. He does bass for fishing camps, deer and alligators for hunting camps, and with so many horse farms in Folsom, he’s accepted plenty equine-themed challenges. He’s created a large lighthouse for a Mandeville ballpark, a veritable menagerie for a Folsom music venue, and he even carved one customer a life-sized Sasquatch.
Whatever the project, Tresvik begins with a design on paper. Next, he measures and roughly sketches it onto the pine, white oak, or cedar trunk he’s culled from his wood pile for the project. He uses a large chainsaw to “block out” a rough shape. Then, he advances to smaller and smaller chainsaws, then eventually hand tools used to refine details. He finishes with a blowtorch, adding depth and color to his final product.
Chainsaw sculptures by Steve Tresvik. Courtesy of Jenny Moore.
“I generally use ten to twelve tools on each piece,” Tresvik said. “Sometimes I paint the finished product, but often the natural wood looks better, so I just seal it to preserve the wood. And if I mess up at any stage, I can usually sand it off and start again.” His larger pieces can go up to ten feet tall and are sometimes carved directly into dead trees left where they’re rooted—allowing a tree that’s stood for decades, or even centuries, to be reborn as sculpture.
I couldn’t leave Tresvik without adding my own project to the waiting list: a single morel mushroom, about three feet tall, to stand beside the chanterelles he’s already carved me. I’ve heard the adage, “Don’t retire from something. Retire to something.” Tresvik might be the poster child for this philosophy, waking each day as he does with visions of alligators, eagles, and bears, and plans to coax them from the wood.
You can commission your own Tresvik original or browse some of his existing pieces by calling (225) 772-1853.
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