From RN to chainsaw carver, White is flourishing in new career
In August 2022 Taylor White took a leap of faith to pursue chainsaw carving as a fulltime career and has not looked back since.
The 26-year-old Waterville, Maine resident and former Registered Nurse made her first appearance this year at the Ridgway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous. Last year she attended as a visitor and is now participating in the event as a carver.
“It's a great atmosphere, loud and full of crazy carvers that are some of the nicest folks I have meet!” White said.
Since delving into the field, White carves roughly 6-8 hours a day, 5-7 days a week. Welding a chainsaw for multiple hours a day helps keep her in shape and allows White to spend nearly everyday outside, which is always a bonus for her, even in the cold Maine winters.
“I enjoy both the physical and mental aspect of the art form,” White said. “This art form also takes a lot of what I like to call ‘brain power'. Turning a round log into a 3D object can be a great challenge, and I'm always up for a good challenge.”
As a completely selftaught artist in the craft, like many carvers are, White said patience and trial and error have helped her get to where she is today in her career. After creating her fifth piece White now carves under TM Custom Carvings.
“I absolutely love art, and I'm very passionate about the outdoors and animals, all of which are present in chainsaw carving,” White said. “I just sort of wanted to give it a try and fell in love with the art form immediately.”
Currently White's favorite subject to carve are birds of prey, specifically owls.
“I could carve them every day and not get bored,” she notes.
Among one of her most interesting pieces that White has carved for a client is a nearly six foot tall polar bear holding a flamingo.
“Nothing beats the odd jobs, they keep things fun!”, White said.
Her pieces have found homes in multiple states including
Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, New Hampshire and Canada. White's YouTube channel, TayMarie, has also helped connect her to customers throughout the states.
“It's a lot of work for the income you make. It's definitely not the job for everyone. It can be hard to motivate yourself some days to get out there and be creative, especially when it's well below freezing in the winter,” White said.
In addition somedays carving is easy for White while other days carving the simplest pieces can feel like a great challenge for her.
“It's definitely very hard on the body as well,” she added. “With that said I couldn't see myself doing anything that would make me happier!”
This year will also mark White's first year competing as a chainsaw carver. She will be attending the Central PA Chainsaw Carvers Festival in Shippensburg in addition to the Rendezvous.
“I have yet to work with any other carvers so I'm very excited for this year's competitions!,” she said.
When White was a youngster she always thought the chainsaw carvings were the coolest exhibit at the county fairs, which sparked her interest in the craft. This curiosity for chainsaw carving paired perfectly with White's love of working with her hands and tools. She currently utilizes Echo and Stihl chainsaws along with a variety of brands for her hand tools.
Eastern White Pine is White's preferred medium to carve with, which also happens to be Maine's state tree. It's her go to for many reasons as it is soft on the tools, yet hard enough to hold a good amount of detail. She noted it is also abundant and always available in her home state which makes it very cost effective or sometimes free.
“I do love carving cedar when I can get my hands on it,” White said. “I hope to try more woods as I continue my carving career!”
For those considering taking up chainsaw carving White recommends getting a cheap chainsaw and safety gear and give it a go. She noted the hardest part about anything is getting started.
“So just start! If you like it keep on carving. If you don't, well, it's always good to have a chainsaw around the house!” White advised.