Raised on a farm in Ohio, Anthony builds luxury homes for a living. He moved to Hoquiam, Washington where he came across a large piece of driftwood and felt the urge to carve it into a wolf. He bought a chainsaw and ….BOOM! He found his passion and has been chainsaw carving ever since. His infectious enthusiasm graces homes and businesses all over Washington and throughout the United States. He is the proud owner of Native Beach Accessories on Ocean Beach Road in Hoquiam, where his incredible talent is showcased.Anthony was severely injured in July, 2022 while disposing of fireworks. He lost most of his left thumb and some of his index and middle finger and was airlifted to Harborview hospital in Seattle for surgery. Not even a full year later he has overcome and is back to chainsaw carving. Anthony says, “You need three things to be an artist: gift, ambition, and desire.” Anthony, you are an inspiration to all of us!
Born in Moldova, Constantin is now a custom wood carver from Sacramento, California. Constantin won first place in the semi-pro division of the 19th annual Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Carving Championship.
Constantin says, “I had a passion for the arts since I was a young child, so I attended an art school in my home country. My second passion has always been animals and after I moved to the U.S., I was able to combine these two passions into wood carving. My good friend Alexandru Pricob mentored me and I have been carving for several years now. I am now happy to be able to provide carving lessons through my business. As a full-time pro-carver I work in flat wood and 3D, I also try to combine sculptures and painting as much as possible. I like to represent nature and its beauty, animals, and moments from their daily life: movement, moods, and there ordinary behaviors. Carving inspires me to want more from life; help me express my feelings. I carve wood and wood carves me into a better person. I look forward to carving new works full of inspiration at this year’s championships. I am excited to participate!”
Matt had the fortune of growing up just down the road from Mark and Colby Herrington where he was inspired by their work. Now 29, Matt has been carving since he was 15 out of Carbonado, Washington. He has competed and placed in shows since 2013. Matt loves to carve for a hobby while owning and operating his own tree service business. His favorite thing to carve is aquatic animals. After a couple years off, Matt began competing again in 2022 and looks forward to continuing his creativity and sharing it with his family. Pictured here is Matt teaching his 8-year-old step daughter how to carve. She even sold a couple trees at a show last year.
Tomas Vrba is an award-winning chainsaw sculptor and metal artist. Tomas combines the classical fine arts training he received in his native country of Slovakia with the raw power of modern tools, like the chainsaw, to create a unique style of sculpture. At his studio in Bellingham, Washington, Tomas creates commissioned sculptures in metal and wood, including chainsaw carvings and tree stump art, for display in private residences and public works.
Growing up in Slovakia before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tomas never imagined he’d get the chance to be a working artist, let alone an artist making a name for himself in America. In the early 1990’s, Tomas earned a spot in an art school apprenticeship program where he spent the next four years training in classical wood carving. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Sculpture Restoration from VSVU Bratislava, one of Europe’s premier fine arts institutions.
After college, Tomas spent a number of years as a fine art restorer in Vienna, preserving some of the world’s finest works of art. But despite his success, he dreamed of creating his own sculptures. While on vacation in Berlin, Tomas met Allison, who was visiting from the Seattle area, where she was born and raised. In 2006, Tomas and Allison married and returned to the Pacific Northwest, where they opened Tomas Vrba Studio.
