I’LL BE BARK!

Chip by chip, how artist sculpted incredible Arnie from oak trunk

HE’s nicknamed the Austrian Oak – and not just because of his wooden acting.

But this Arnold schwarzenegger really is all tree trunk.

Fan James O’Neal took six months to craft his hero from a single piece of black oak.

At 6ft 2in, the sculpture is billed as being life-size, though 71-year-old Arnie’s height has long been the subject of conjecture – some claim he may be significantly shorter.

Mr O’Neal decided to capture the star in the ‘vacuum pose’, which schwarzenegger used to show off his physique in his bodybuilding days.

The artist used hundreds of pictures of the Terminator and Predator legend for reference, taking details he liked from different photos – right down to the popping veins on Arnie’s biceps, his sinewy thighs and natty trunks. A polyurethane coat brings out rich tones and the wood’s natural grain.

‘I received word the other day that Arnold was following the progress and loves the statue,’ said Mr O’Neal, from New Jersey.

schwarzenegger began lifting weights at the age of 15 and won the Mr Universe title at 20. He went on to win Mr Olympia seven times in his bodybuilding career.

Plane and simple: Mr O’Neal hones the Schwarzenegger physique and face Total recall: The finished statue and Arnie in his bodybuilding heyday, below Detail: The artist has even captured the popping veins on his muscles

Raw product: James with the oak trunk and how it took shape