Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Ayers.
Mike, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began my carving career in the mountains of Virginia. I have been carving for 16 years now and I have traveled all over the world to include most of Europe, England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Tahiti and Canada. I have also competed in competitions all over the United States as well. Many times placing or winning. I run a competition called the Masters of the Chainsaw, which is held in Schnecksville, PA and is a chainsaw only competition. I am now part of an ongoing artist project called Echoes of the Forest in Western North Carolina that uses salvaged wood from trees that fell during hurricane Helene. I’ve also been featured on a PBS show about Echoes of the Forest. It was called the Best of Our State. I use to run my own gallery in Maggie Valley, NC but closed it in January to concentrate on distribution to other galleries in Asheville and Tennessee. I am now featured in 3 different galleries and I have been traveling to carve damaged trees in folks yards into art. My website is mountainmikeswhetstonewoodworks.com and people can contact me for standard carvings, custom orders, on-sites or shows for they’re festivals or grand openings.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a tremendous amount of work and dedication as well as many, many sleepless nights. I’d say it was a bit of a roller coaster ride with all the ups and downs. At this point it has become more of a well oiled machine but is somewhat difficult to balance raising my kids and my crazy schedule but I love every minute.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a professional wood sculptor that uses chainsaws to make art. I am proud of my ability to adapt to any situation and my ability to capture the moment in my art. I am considered one of the fastest carvers in the world by many.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I carve barefoot and I carve about 100 carvings a week on a good week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Mountainmikeswhetstonewoodworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountainmike29
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainmikeswhetstonewoodworks/#
- Youtube: YouTube@MikeAyers-p5h
