I CAME, I SAWED: ARTISTS DEMONSTRATE CRAFT AT FAIR

In the Robinson Carving Co., everyone has to chip off some old block sooner or later.

Stacey Robinson started making objets d'art with his chainsaw 19 years ago. His 18-year-old son, Travis, has cut alongside him in shows for about three years now, and 16-year-old Clint starts his chainsaw practice at their home in Montgomery City, Mo., this winter.

"I'll start him out cutting slabs for firewood and we'll see how he handles a chainsaw from there," said Robinson, who has brought his family to work at the SEMO District Fair this week.

Robinson had been a carpenter 14 years before he attempted to make something of beauty with a chainsaw. He was cutting firewood during evenings and weekends to make extra money.

"I just started fooling around with this piece of wood," Robinson said. "And after a bit, a cowboy came out of it."

He put the cowboy on his front porch. It caught attention, he said.

Robinson began to do more chainsaw carving, and after awhile, he gave up cutting firewood and carpentry.

Now he is a chainsaw artist.

"I've worked with wood all my life, so I guess it's natural," Robinson said.

Robinson, with his wife, two sons and two daughters travel across America to fairs and festivals making logs into cowboys, Indians and a variety of animals and other objects. He counts 30 states so far.

His routine this week at the SEMO Fair is typical. He and his son, Travis, use a variety of chainsaws with differing blades to put on an hour-long demonstration of carving. Clint will come out first to introduce them. Later, his daughters Ashley and Taylor step before the crowd in red and black cheerleading outfits. Shaking their pompons, they encourage the crowd to spell out "just saw it."

"They come out and kind of get the crowd going," Robinson said of his daughters, ages 7 and 11.

At the end of a week of shows, the Robinsons auction the pieces they have carved, with money going back to the fair. They will auction their pig, horses, benches and bears at 4 p.m. Saturday.

When performing in Missouri, Robinson uses oak, walnut and cedar. He likes the hardwoods, since the sap in the woods can be used to bring out natural colors and contrasts.

Out of Missouri, they take the wood they're given.

"We already know what to expect in Kansas," Robinson said. "It's cottonwood and elm."