Carvers 2020
We are excited to welcome the following competitors in 2022.
For further information on each of the Carvers or to enquire about purchasing their carvings or a commission for something personal, please click on the Carvers Name to follow their links.
SimonArcher
UK
Simon is from Liverpool, UK and has a formal background in Fine Art and sculpture and now works exclusively as a wood sculptor/chainsaw artist.
“Most of my work is commission based, whether it’s carving large dead tree stumps in parks or small pieces for domestic gardens. I also try to make time to experiment with my studio work, trying new ideas and working more intuitively.” “I have carved and competed in numerous chainsaw carving events and competitions within the UK and America in the last five years. These include- Chaptacular 2018, The English Open 2017, Carve Carrbridge 2019,2017,2016,2015,2014, The APF 2016,2018,The Royal Lancs Show 2017”
Payment methods accepted – Cash or Card
Igor Kučera
Czech Republic
Igor was our first entrant from the Czech Republic back in 2015 and is back again for more speed carving fun. Igor started drawing and carving small pieces from pine bark aged 5. He attended a school of visual arts and went on to study graphic design at university in the Czech Republic where he worked after graduating. Later he started his own graphic studio in Leicester. At 43 he eventually learned to work with a chainsaw and started carving life-sized statues.
Since then, he has taken part in many woodcarving shows and competitions in Czech Republic, Slovakia, UK and USA.
Payment Methods accepted – cash
Sam Bowsher
Scotland
Sam made his competition debut at Carve Carrbridge in 2019 having grown up with Carve Carrbridge as most people who know the carving scene will have heard of his dad Chainsaw Pete. Sam’s business is inevitably called “Chip Off The Old Block Chainsaw Carving”
Sam has gone full time competing at other events where possible, visiting the USA and working on commissions
Marcos Mariño Seoane
Spain
Marcos won best new Entrant in 2019 and we are delighted that he has agreed to compete again in 2020.
A sculptor from Gallego (Spain), he trained in the school of applied arts Master Mateo of Santiago de Compostela twenty years ago.
‘I have been working with chainsaws for 4 years now and I have already attended several international events and competitions. I am also the official sculptor of Husqvarna for Spain and Portugal. In these years I have made several sculptures for different cities of my country and abroad, in addition to countless demonstrations throughout the country’
International events:
– Participation in X Ax Festival in Tomsk (Russia) in 2017.
– Participation in the III International Sculpture Symposium of Temuco (Chile) in 2018.
– Paricipation in the second Open of Igualada (Cataluña) in 2018.
– Participation in the Open of England 2018.
– Participation in the European Chainsaw Carving Championship in UK in 2018.
– Participation in the Autumn Chainsaw Carving Steel Beavers in Kaunas in 2018.
– Best New Entrant Carve Carrbridge 2019
Payment Method Cash or Paypal
Garry Shand
Scotland
Garry, originally from Huntly, Aberdeenshire first competed at Carve Carrbridge in 2008 and has been every year since
Garry placed 3rd in 2015 with his popular carving of “Groot” from the Marvel movie “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Garry is a full-time chainsaw sculptor operating from his home/workshop in Drummuir, Moray.
Although he enjoys travelling to enjoys travelling to international carving events and competitions, he spends most of his time carving commissions and his popular “wee coo’s”!
In 2019 his carving of a ‘Heilan Teuchter’ won the highest bid in the Grand Auction.
Payment Methods accepted – cash
Michael Tamozus
Germany
2018 winner with ‘Girl in the Wind’ , 2019 with Girl with the Lantern Michael is going for a hat trick. From Herrenberg on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany and is entering the event for the 8th time. Michael won best new entrant in 2009. The fluidity of his work captured the judges attention and we look forward to getting a virtual close up of his carving in 2020
Ian Williams
Wales
Attending the event for a 4th year, Ian comes from North Wales and was a Firefighter for 30 yrs, carving a a hobby, he decided to finish fire fighting and carve full time and has been carving for 3 years full time, but still learning.
‘I love Carrbridge as it is a massive challenge to carve in 4 hrs, the atmosphere is fantastic and I love being here.’
All his carvings are made from trees which have either fell naturally or need to be felled for woodland management purposes and his aim is to try to ‘make the trees come back to life with all of the beauty of the wood showing through’.
Payment Methods Cash, Credit or Debit Card
Martin Nimmo
Scotland
I have always been artistic but only as a hobby. I love making things out of wood & harvesting my own wood from the “waste” of my day job is great & feels very holistic. I also make some furniture & bowls & spoons from the nice hard wood timbers which I collect and carve the decent lumps of conifer into sculptures when I have the time. I just started suggesting to clients that I could make something from the stumps of trees they wanted taken down, or had to come down, some agreed & I buy a new piece of carving gear with each sculpture. Thankfully all of the carvings have went well & I am grateful to I keep getting the opportunity to do more. I have chainsaw milled a lot of client’s logs into tables & benches etc as well. I wanted to compete in Carve Carrbridge to learn more about competitive carving and get involved in the community (everyone seems so nice) to get to know the real carvers, hopefully learn from them and have a good time.
Payment Methods Cash, Credit or Debit Card
Alice Buttress
Scotland
Local artist and potter, Alice entered the competition as a Carver for the first time ten years ago. Back again this year to represent the village and the only female contestant this year, Alice is the creator of the Wood Spirit that proudly stands at the Inverness /Grantown road junction and, in conjunction with husband Jeff, delivered the Bridge 300 carving in the village car park. Alice has had a number of commissions locally and many of her other carvings can be seen in Gardens and in the woodlands around the village on the Carving Trail.
Payment Methods Cash, Credit or Debit Card
Tom Harris-Ward
Scotland
New competitor in 2013. Tom has been carving for 14 years, but first used a chainsaw when he was just 9 years old, as his dad worked in the forestry sector. He mainly carves Scottish wildlife, but has carved all sorts of things in the past from models of peoples cars, to a life size North Sea commercial diver. He was placed second in 2015 and this is his first time in a virtual competition
Payment Methods Cash, Credit or Debit Card
Chris Wood
Wales
Chris became a chainsaw carver in the late 1990s after being made redundant from his job as a steelworker in South Wales. 20 years on and he hasn’t looked back. He has made hundreds of different pieces. including enormous cones, war memorials, faces and masks, animals, furniture, miners and dragons. Plus, lots of dragons.
This is Chris’ first time at Carve Carrbridge.
He was down to compete last year, but sadly had to withdraw at the very, very last minute.