HISTORY ON DISPLAY
24-foot wood carving nears completion
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. » An Oregon man has turned a 24-foot-long, seven-ton log into a lifesize carving that depicts key figures in colonial American history.
Paul Stark has been working since mid-May on a chainsaw carving of Lt. Col. Robert Rogers, whose “Rules of Ranging” formed the basis of modern-day special operations military tactics.
Rogers spent considerable time in Fort Edward and Lake George during the French and Indian War, in the mid- to late-1750s.
“This is the most involved three-dimensional piece I’ve ever created,” Stark said. “I found the tree in early May, started around the 15th of May and expect to finish by middle-to-late August.”
The carving shows Rogers paddling in the bow of a canoe, accompanied by five Mohican Native Americans.
Plans call for displaying the sculpture on Beach Road in Lake George, in front of Fort William Henry, which figured prominently in the mid-18th century struggle between Great Britain and France for control of the North American continent.
The carving includes amazingly realistic facial features and highly detailed weapons carried by Native Americans.
“This is the most difficult piece I’ve created,” Stark said. “Human figures are tough in wood using the chainsaw method and a raw tree. I start with a sketch to present to my client. I don’t draw or outline on the tree. I start with a gas chainsaw and go for it. I try to put myself in the character’s place as if I were on the lake in the canoe.
“After I do as much as I can with the chainsaw, I use electric die-grinders with router bits to refine the detail,” he said. “And the I use sanding attachments with the same die-grinder along with body sanders to sand the wood.”
Many passing motorists have stopped to admire Stark’s work, just north of Lake George village on Route 9. It will be moved to Beach Road and housed beneath a shelter, to protect it from the summer sun and harsh winter, when he’s done.
“This is the best reception I’ve had on any piece,” he said. “I think it’s just cool because it might have happened on Lake George many years ago.”
The giant white pine came from forestland near Bethel, Sullivan County, in the southern Catskills.
“A friend and developer, Steve Dubvrosky, let me search his property for a couple of weeks until I found the tree we needed for this project,” Stark said.
The idea took shape last October when Stark was visiting friends Rod and Kim Cornelius, of Lake George. He went there to carve a Native American theme on a tree in their yard.
During dinner, they asked what Stark’s favorite subject would be, if given a chance to do a public sculpture.
“We were talking about the value of public art to a community,” Stark said. “I told them I had always wanted to create a life-size carving of a canoe with Native Americans. Within a couple of days Rod and Kim contacted Mayor Bob Blais of Lake George. The canoe was on its way.”
The couple also spearheaded a fund-raising drive to pay for the project, which is costing $100,000, Blais said. The town and village of Lake George have contributed $10,000 each. The rest has come from private sources.
Costs include Stark’s time and materials, trucking the log to Lake George, and building a shelter and landscaped setting for the sculpture.
Officials at Fort William Henry provided technical assistance, to help Stark give figures the most authentic-looking dress and appearance possible.
“A lot of research has gone into it,” Blais said. “We’re thinking this might be the start of having additional carvings along the lakefront walkway.”
Such work would promote cultural tourism and ties in with the rich colonial-era, military history of Lake George.
At least two other businesses have expressed interest in having a chainsaw sculpture. Blais said the village supports such efforts, but firms would have to come up with the money to pay for such work