Repurposing trees into art in San Carlos

So when the homeowners suggested a whale, he agreed to carve it.

This is his first whale. His most popular requests are bears but he has carved eagles, owls, dolphins and dogs. He also has carved people, buildings and dragons. The whale carving takes about two days to finish. The residents will have to apply an oil sealant to slow down the rotting process when the work is done. Because oak is a hardwood, he fears it will eventually crack. The stump will most likely rot, he said.

“It’s still a good way to repurpose the stump and make something beautiful with it,” Sievert said.

However, he suggests carving trees from soft woods like pine, cedar or redwood.

“Redwoods are the best, because the wood is soft, it’s beautiful and it doesn’t deteriorate easily,” Sievert said.

He does all his work free hand, meaning he doesn’t draw anything before and he doesn’t map out where he is going to cut the tree, he added.

“Sometimes I will use a picture for reference. Like in this case, I wanted to make sure the fin is the right proportion,” Sievert said. “Some designs need to be simple, because I am working with a chain saw and it is difficult when it comes to fine details, especially because I don’t want anything to break.”

The oak tree carving comes with a few challenges. As he carves the stump, he finds holes in the wood or spots where it has already rotted. He doesn’t recommend carving oak because it deteriorates fairly quickly. He said he talked to the homeowners about the challenges but they decided to carve it anyway because the stump was a large eyesore.

For the past 25 years, he has made wood carving his career, from little trinkets that sell at art and wine festivals to carving stumps at residents’ homes. It’s his passion and he loves doing it.

“Because of the drought and PG&E ... cut down dangerous trees, many people are left with stumps in their yard and carving them into art is a way to repurpose or memorialize their tree,” Sievert said.

Sievert grew up in Humboldt County and he said growing up there you either become a logger or pot farmer.

“And I wasn’t going to be either of those,” Sievert said, adding he moved to the Bay Area in 1989 and has been carving full time ever since.

Visit chainsawtreeart.com for more information on Sievert’s services.