If you ever notice that the Alberta plates on Brian Widahl’s dark grey GMC Sierra are riding a little low to the road something spectacular is about to happen. Brian is a chainsaw sculptor – a “carver” – and the owner of Widahl Woodcraft in Cochrane, Alberta and when you see a fresh log of White or Black Spruce or Jack Pine or Douglas Fir or Cedar anchored in the bed of his truck it means someone’s vision is becoming a reality. Since a lull in the residential construction industry in Southern Alberta in 2015 Brian, a carpenter by trade, has been busy taking orders for wooden replicas of taxidermied prize fish, custom home décor like nature-themed silhouettes and hanging signs, garden ornaments, gate posts, mail boxes, storefront mascots, and a little guy who only ever says “I am Groot” (ask your kids) among other things. If you’re one of the thousands of proud owners of one of Brian’s hand-sculpted artworks – and his patrons are widespread across North America and Western Europe – you might be surprised to learn that Widahl Woodcraft is a small family-run business. “It’s basically just me and my wife,” Brian explained with a matter-of-fact pride in his voice when he spoke with Spotlight on Business in late April. “I do the carving and my wife’s the real artist behind the scenes. She does all the painting and fine details like trimming. We never overthink a project; we stick to our skillsets and we just create.”
By David MacDonald I t turns out that chainsaws and charity go well together. Just ask Brian. Quite a crowd came out to the Global Pet Foods in Cochrane this February to watch him create a large sculpture. The ticket-only event saw all proceeds go to the Cochrane & Area Humane Society and it “inspired people,” Brian said. “I’m getting out there for these kinds of events more and more. The older you get, the more per- spective you get on life. Everybody has to go through a bit of a selfish stage in life to really figure out what’s important. What’s important for me is putting more value in people and seeking happiness in every interaction. Getting out there and doing demonstrations gives me an opportunity to do just that and I get to help worthy causes. I love when people come up to me and ask questions.” “We never overthink a project; we stick to our skillsets and we just create.” “Just a month or so ago I met a guy who had actually come to a demonstration just to talk to me,” he said. “He was there because a friend of his couldn’t make it. He was so amped to be there for his friend and pick my brain. She’s in her mid-for- ties and for the last 20 years she’s dreamed of carving. She’s watched videos and read books and she just wants to reach out to people involved in the craft, in the art, before she tries it. I gave him my contact info to pass along because it’s something I really believe in. If you have a dream, if you have the mindset and the determination, it’s all possible.” One of the more frequent questions Brian answers is “How do you start?”
artwork only three years ago.
“When I was growing up my father built log homes with one of the local builders, Moose Mountain Log Homes, who happen to be one of my strongest suppliers today. They always had carvers – and I admired what those guys could do with raw aggressive tools and come up with this magical, clean-looking piece – but I had never thought to try it myself. When work slowed down in December of 2015 it hit me. I saw one of my dad’s old saws that he used to build houses with sitting there so I started carving a bear. It took me a few hours and it wasn’t a nice bear but I was proud of it. The whole three or four-hour experience felt like five minutes. I turned off the world and focused and enjoyed – I just did my thing. I remember a friend of mine came over and said ‘Hey, you tried it!’ like it was something I was bound to do and that stuck with me. The next day I woke up and put that bear aside and I made three more. I’ve had some awesome support from a couple of friends who are just the type who are always hoping you succeed and they took those bears off my hands for a few bucks – that really pushed me right there.” “Initially I gave myself five years to make a realistic piece; I’ve already done that. But I’m always determined to do better and give more of myself to the craft – that’s the goal, to stay persistent. My first piece, the bear, every- thing is straight and square on it. I was just trying to get that rough image. An ongoing goal for me, a big goal for me, is to just work on movement. I want to keep the movement in the piece, make it look natural. It’s really nice when a piece catches your eye and you look at it in Another “push factor” for Brian has been setting goals to develop his craftsmanship.
What makes Brian’s story even more inspirational to would-be carvers is the fact that he carved his very first
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DECEMBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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