Chainsaw artist carves piece for Easter display

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Who knew a carving of praying hands could be so big?

When Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce president Becky Wiginton asked Bob Weston for a small carving to include in this weekend's Stations of the Cross in Marble Hill, she anticipated something about 1 foot high. Well, Weston wasn't thinking small.

His 4-foot chainsaw carving will be easy to spot at Stations of the Cross, a drive-through and walk-through display that will be set up from 7 a.m. on Good Friday through 6 p.m. Easter Sunday in Magnolia Park.

"His piece is magnificent, and in my mind, represents the love Jesus had for us. His prayer was big, His sacrifice was big, and Mr Weston's carved hands elegantly show that," Wiginton said.

Stations of the Cross will be set up similar to Christmas in the Park. It is not a live display. There will be 12 stages, with each stage describing a portion of Jesus' death and resurrection. The event is free and family-friendly.

A Bollinger County native and self-employed logger, Weston was about 50 years old before he tried his hand at chainsaw carving.

"I watched a TV show called 'Saw Dogs' and just loved what they were doing, so I thought I would try it," he said. That was three years ago. "The first piece I tried, I was going to carve a bear. I spent five hours carving that bear out and went home and watched YouTube videos about chainsaw carving bears. And I came back the next day and spent five more hours and fixed all the mistakes I made the first day."

That bear was his first piece, and he sold it. He has made about 80 carvings since then, much of them animals: deer, eagles, dogs, owls, alligators. The hardest piece he said he carved was a griffin, a mythical creature with the face and feet of an eagle, and the back half of a cat, complete with a tail.

For the Parade of Lights last Christmas in Marble Hill, he decorated a trailer with chainsaw renditions of all the holiday favorites, including the Wise Men, Santa, reindeer and the Grinch.

Weston said his work as a chainsaw artist could be a full-time business, but right now, it's "still in the hobby process." The hobby does take up much of his time, however -- he spent 10 hours carving the praying hands. He has a workshop set up near his home in rural Grassy, Missouri.

He and his wife, Monica, moved to Grassy early last year after building a house. They lived in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, for the previous 25 to 30 years before moving to Bollinger County, where he was born.

"I built my house with a chainsaw, too. It took four years to build," Weston said. "I've got logs inside my house that are 3 feet in diameter. Some are 56 feet long. I chainsawed my steps going upstairs."

He is the owner of Weston's Chainsaw Carvings and may be reached at mwestonr1@gmail.com. He also has a page on Facebook.