Wood You Believe: Raymer sculpts with chainsaws

That block of wood in the corner of B.J. Raymer’s shop on Poplar Log Bridge Road could have anything hidden inside.

A wolf maybe or a bear.

Maybe a bird.

Raymer, an Owensboro firefighter, began carving with chainsaws about five years ago.

And he estimates that he’s created “more than 500 pieces and probably more than 1,000.”

They range from a 16-foot tree in Evansville that he turned into a totem pole to an eight-inch cardinal.

Raymer’s business is calling Glowing Jacks Carvings.

“Glowing Jacks started as a pumpkin patch on U.S. 231 when my kids were small,” he said. “I wanted them to spend time in the fields. But after awhile, nobody wanted to spend 12 hours in the fields. And I didn’t either.”

About that time, Raymer saw someone create a wooden pumpkin with a chainsaw.

“I wanted to try that,” he said. “That was the first thing I made. It took a few tries before I was able to get something that people wanted to buy.”

Raymer still creates 20 to 30 wooden pumpkins a year.

Right now, he’s working on a German shepherd.

“This is the first dog I’ve done,” Raymer said. “People want the carvings to look like their pet that passed away. I can’t do that, but I can make the same breed.”

He had worked about seven hours on the dog and said he had at least seven more to go.

The dog is made of pine.

“I stay more with pine, poplar, cedar, maple,” Raymer said. “They’re the soft woods. They’re easier to work with.”

He said, “I can’t duplicate anything. It’s all original.”

Raymer said, “Sometimes, the mistakes I make, make it look better. I never stop learning.”

He said, “As far as I know, I’m the only chainsaw carver in Daviess County. And there are maybe three within 100 miles.”

Raymer said he uses five chainsaws in different sizes in his work.

“I have at least five orders waiting now,” he said. “I usually have about eight weeks of work lined up.”

People who want to contact him about a project can go to his Facebook page — Glowing Jacks Carvings.

“It’s peaceful,” Raymer said. “It takes my mind off the fire department. And it accomplishes something.”

Most of his works are sold, but he said, “I keep a few for myself.”

Last year, Raymer’s wife, Heather, created the first Bluegrass Chainsaw Showdown at the Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront.

It drew 11 chainsaw artists from at least six states on Nov. 10-12.

Raymer said it will return for a second year in November.

If you’re wondering, the world’s largest piece of chainsaw art is said to be J. Chester Armstrong’s work which depicts the Mayan Creation myth and modern Mexican history.

It weighs 3,000 pounds and spans 25 feet.

The smallest is said to be Maine artist Ray Murphy’s carving of three 1’s on a mustard seed.

He is also said to have carved the alphabet into a Number Two pencil.