Chainsaw Artist Turns Lumber into Art at County 4-H Fair

COURT HOUSE — Some artists use oils and canvas. Matt Hass uses a chainsaw and lumber.
From his home in Bristol, NY and traveling to exhibits such as the Cape May County 4-H Fair, Hass can turn a chunk of wood into soaring eagles, proud Indian chiefs, howling wolves and towering bears. Hass will appear at the fair on Sat., July 19 for a demonstration and auction of his work.
Hass, 31, is the owner and chainsaw artist at Sawdogs Chainsaw Carvers and earns a living turning big logs into improbably fluid sculptures and furniture with nothing more than a tool that some use to cut firewood.
Hass said he was always comfortable around woodworking tools. Since his father had his own construction business, he remembers being at job sites and pitching in from the time he was nine-years-old.
At 18-years-old Hass said that he took a trip to a local fair that changed his life.
“There was a chainsaw artist at the fair that was just amazing,” he said. “He made it look easy. He’d start with a log and make a few quick cuts and you could see the sculpture beginning to take shape.”
Inspired by the man covered in saw dust and wielding a chainsaw with knife-like precision, Hass decided to follow in his footsteps and become a chainsaw artist. He didn’t know it at the time, but the artist that sparked his creativity was a world-renowned and award-winning artist by the name of Dennis Beach.
“The only thing I had was an 18-year-old’s desire to take on the world and proficiency with tools,” said Hass. He said that he had been able to recreate high end furniture for his high school teachers with nothing more to go on than a photo. But creating a sculpture out of a log using a tool that isn’t designed for intricate detail was different.
“When I first started, it looked nothing like Beach’s creations. In fact, it was pretty terrible,” Hass said with a laugh. Instead of throwing in the towel, Hass stayed with it and eventually the artistic side of his personality began to come through. “I would work at it constantly, keep going to shows, talking to more artists and learning more and more,” he said. “And then I got better and better.”
Hass said that a few years later, he ran into Beach at a chainsaw artist competition and was honored to spend some time talking and sharing tips with such a highly regarded chainsaw artist.
“When I first started, it was really impressive to see how many other people do this and what they put into their craft,” he said.
When Hass works, he starts with a chainsaw that has about as much power as a kid’s dirt bike to take the big chunks of wood away. Then, he takes a lesser powered chainsaw to do detail work, like the fur of a bear or the feathers on an eagle.
“I like to do things quickly,” said Hass, so working with a chainsaw makes perfect sense to him.
In fact, Hass is known for his speed and likes to enter quick cut competitions where chainsaw artists are given a log and only 45 minutes to create a sculpture. After the 45 minutes are up, the pieces are immediately auctioned off. The winner is whoever can bring in the most money.
Hass has done everything from a seven-foot bear, a three-foot tall lighthouse, and tables and chairs.
“I did a life sized motorcycle at one of my first competitions,” Hass noted. “It was individually shaped to about 30 or 35 pieces and then they had to fit together without using screws or anything like that.”
Hass said that he may have lost count on the number of chainsaws he owns, but he hasn’t lost sight of the passion that drives him to continue to evolve as an artist. “I am one of those people that is never satisfied with being mediocre, so I keep striving for that next thing,” he said.
Since Hass was once inspired by an established chainsaw artist, it seems fitting that he sparked creativity and the desire to try something new in someone else. “I was at a competition and one of the guys came up to me and asked me to check out his stuff. While we were walking over to take a look, he told me that he had seen me at a competition and I was a huge part in getting him started in being a chainsaw artist.”
For your chance to see the Sawdogs Chainsaw Carver in action, visit the Cape May County 4-H Fair on Sat., July 19, between noon and 7:00 p.m. For more information on Hass, visit sawdogs.homestead.com.
Don’t forget the fair: The annual Cape May County 4-H Fair runs July 17 – 19 at the 4-H fairgrounds located at 355 Court House – South Dennis Road in Cape May Court House. Public hours for the fair are noon to 9 p.m. Thurs. and Fri. and noon to 10 p.m. on Sat.. Admission is free and there is a host of fun events Thurs. through Sat..
Fri. evening at the fair brings two performances by rising country music star and Ventnor native Mia Bergman and her band at 5:00 and 7:30 p.m. New events on Sat. include an antique car show by the Jersey Cape Cruisers from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. camel rides from 2:00-8:00 p.m.
Wizard’s Festival of Fun Amusements will return to the fair this summer with thrilling, safe rides for the whole family, along with new and returning commercial and educational exhibitors. The popular Children’s Pet Show, sponsored by Smeltzer & Sons Feed & Pet Supplies, will take place on Sat., July 19, beginning at 9 a.m. on the main stage. All children are invited to bring their favorite dogs, cats, rabbits and other unusual pets for many fun classes, including costumes. Trophies, gift certificates or ribbons will be awarded in all classes. The entry fee is $1 per class.
The 4-H Youth Development program is part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County. Volunteers are always needed to assist at the 4-H Fair. Please call (609) 465-5115 ext. 605 for more information. Learn more about the Cape May County 4-H Youth Development Program and the 4-H Fair at the 4-H Foundation website cmc4h.com