Craig Daily Press

Faye Braaten

Craig — Hometown: Loveland

Years carving: 9

Years in Whittle the Wood: 9

WTW finishes:

2007: People’s Choice — “Moonlight Madness”

2000: second place — “Eagle and Snake”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Adrenaline Rush,” a bull rider

Carving career history: “My husband suggested I try it, since I liked oil-painting and drawing. Whittle the Wood was my first competition, and my skills really transferred over. My kids have gotten interested in it, too.”

Ken Davis

Hometown: Montrose

Years carving: 19

Years in Whittle the Wood: 7

WTW finishes:

2006: second place, People’s Choice — “Looking for Goldilocks”

2005: second place — “Monkey N’ Around”

2001: first place — “Watchful Eye”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “The New Sheriff in Town,” a young cowboy on a stick horse

Carving career history: “I started when I got laid off from my job building log houses. I started my own business in 1989. I tried making furniture, too, but there was too much competition. I rarely use anything other than a chainsaw in my work.”

Rick Burgess

Hometown: North Platte, Neb.

Years carving: 10

Years in Whittle the Wood: 2

WTW finishes:

2007: third place — “Cliffhanger”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Fallen Feather,” a buffalo and an arrow

Carving career history: “I got interested in it while traveling the West coast. I fell in love with it, and I’m constantly learning something new.”

John Clay

Hometown: Beulah

Years carving: 7

Years in Whittle the Wood: 3

WTW finishes:

2007: first place, Artist’s Choice — “The Seventh Chief”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Woodroses,” an array of roses

Carving career history: “When I moved to Colorado, I started carving things out of firewood. A drought had dried up a lot of trees, so I started carving them, too. I only do this part time, along with other jobs like landscaping, which plays into some of my work.”

Ron Eye

Hometown: Vernal, Utah

Years carving: 6

Years in Whittle the Wood: 1

Name and description of this year’s entry: “We Were Free,” a mountain man with two Indians

Carving career history: “I started carving as a full-time job one month ago. I do Western themes. My business is called Wild and Western Wood Creations. I use a lot of tools like chisels, grinders and sanders, too.”

Jeff Klatt

Hometown: Storm Lake, Iowa

Years carving: 18

Years in Whittle the Wood: 1

Past Prizes Won:

2006: third place — Quick Carves, National Chainsaw Sculpting Invitational, Hackensack, Minn.

2006: fifth place overall — NCSI

Name and description of this year’s entry: “The Guardian,” an eagle with an Indian under its wing

Carving career history: “I got interested through a friend and sold my motorcycle for my first chainsaw. I started doing my business, Runaway Saws, full time five years ago. My biggest carving was 35-feet tall, and took 100 hours.”

Forrest Dorman

Hometown: Florence

Years carving: 10

Years in Whittle the Wood: 3

WTW finishes:

2007: second place — “My Serenity”

2006: third place — “Peace on Earth”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Hide and Seek,” a mother mountain lion and cub

Carving career history: “I moved from California, where there’s a lot of woodcarving. A friend of mine gave me a job and taught me how to do it. I started my business, Dorman Chainsaw Sculptures, five years ago. I try to do realistic scenes.”

Audrey Mutschelknaus

Hometown: Hoskins, Neb.

Years carving: 8

Years in Whittle the Wood: 1

Past Prizes Won:

2007: Honorable Mention — Woodcarving Illustrated

2002: Whittled wooden pheasant Christmas ornament displayed in White House

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Cannonball Bob,” a cowboy in a cannon next to a match

Carving career history: “I started out whittling smaller things, and I got interested in chainsaws, so I read books on the subject and taught myself how to do it.”

Mark Rexinger

Hometown: Lincoln, Neb.

Years carving: 7

Years in Whittle the Wood: 1

Past Prizes Won:

2007: second place — Nebraska State Fair

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Birds of Paradise,” a perching eagle

Carving career history: “I watched carvers while I was on vacation in Minnesota, and got interested in it. Eagles are my favorite things to carve. It was Rick Burgess who got me involved in Whittle the Wood, and I saw the competition last year.”

James Schultz

Hometown: Black Forest

Years carving: 13

Years in Whittle the Wood: 8

WTW finishes:

2000: first place, People’s Choice — “Honey Tree”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Make a Wish,” a giant birthday candle with “100” on the front

Carving career history: “My uncle took up carving about a year before I did, and he taught me how to carve wooden bears. I quit my job and took it up full time and started Schultz Woodcarving. Bears are my specialty, but I do all kinds of things.”

Bob Waits

Hometown: Lander, Wyo.

Years carving: 20

Years in Whittle the Wood: 7

WTW finishes:

2006: first place — “Frogtopia”

2005: third place — “Hooters”

2002: second place — “The Council”

Name and description of this year’s entry: “Spirits of the Wood,” a collage of wood spirits

Carving career history: “It started as a part-time hobby when I was unemployed. I was self-taught and carved a bear for my mailbox to annoy my neighbors, and I’ve done more than 5,000 carvings since. I also do air-brushing, glass-etching and anything else I can get my hands on.”