Down a dirt road in New Remo, the Gagnon’s front yard is an exposition of more than 20 wooden animals carved to scale.
Framing either side of the driveway, visitors will find a ram, wiener dog, Siamese cat and crows.
Gerry Gagnon spends his retirement bringing wooden logs to life, as he’s discovered a new passion for chainsaw carvings.
Approximately five years ago, Gagnon decided to take up the art. He personally cuts either spruce or cedar trees from his property and uses the trees to fuel his creativity.
The most recent tree he cut was more than 140 feet tall, and is currently being used to create a life-sized rhinoceros. In fact, all of his carvings are created to be life-sized and look as realistic as possible.
Before Gagnon begins carving, he researches the dimensions of the animal he is set to create.
“I go online to see the sizes. Like the rhinoceros, I have never seen one so I don’t know the size, but on the Internet you can get the sizes,” Gagnon explained. “They are all made the right size.”
Behind the house is Gagnon’s workshop and shed dedicated to his hobby. Piles of logs and sawdust sit outside both structures.
When the animal is large (like his previous works of rams, horses and buffalos), he first carves the body out of a single trunk using the largest of his five chainsaws. Using a series of progressively smaller chainsaws, Gagnon carves limbs and facial features.
Very small and fine blades are used to create the fine detail that makes his sculptures appear real. He then uses clogs, which Gagnon described as the bones, to connect the different parts of the animal.
Unlike many other chainsaw carving artists, Gagnon paints each of his sculptures with appropriate colours and sheen. He finds that by painting his carvings they appear more realistic. “The colours have to be exact,” he said.
His projects take between two to six weeks to complete depending on their size. The larger sculptures can also weigh more than 600lbs, which Gagnon moves using a crane.
Chainsaw carving is quite a loud activity, but Gagnon is a courteous neighbour and only carves when his neighbours are at work on weekdays.
“They don’t want to hear me on their two days off,” he said.
Gagnon’s hobby has created a large community response. His wife, Heather, said that each day they have multiple people driving by to look at the carvings and to take photos.
Many people have asked Gagnon to create replicas of his work to sell. However, he always denies this request as he feels it would make his hobby feel more like a business.
To date, Mr. Gagnon has created 35 chainsaw carvings. Only 22 are on display on his front yard as the rest have been gifted to his three children.