HUMBOLDT — The secret to chainsaw carving, according to Chauncey Poe of Altamont, is to remove all the wood that doesn’t belong.
“I look at a log and I can see the animal inside it,” he explained. “And I start cutting it out.”
His latest creation is a lion carved from a white oak tree. Poe recently sold the sculpture, fittingly, to Monarch Cement Co. in Humboldt.
Poe said the work took him about 90 hours during his free time on nights and weekends.
Meticulous research of photographs of lions provided the details he needed to get it just right: the way the hair crinkles on the elbow, the texture of the tongue, the golden highlights in the eyes. He added color to the face and mane with wood stain and airbrushed paint, then sealed the piece.
Poe posted a photo of his completed work on his Facebook page, Elite Carving, on May 22. That’s where Kent Webber, president of Monarch, saw it.
Monarch’s mascot is a lion, so Webber bought the carving and hired Poe to carve a base out of a dead elm tree in front of Monarch’s office.
On Wednesday, Poe planned to spend about 12 hours shaping the base to look like rocks on a bluff. The lion was secured to the top by three large, galvanized steel bolts. 
AS A CHILD, Poe drew and doodled. Art came naturally.
“When I was younger, I wished I could trade my talent to be book smart so I could go to college and be a lawyer or something,” he said. “But I’m glad I stuck with it.”
He also did woodworking with his father when he was younger, but never put the two hobbies together until about 12 years ago. Then, one day while visiting Grand Lake in Oklahoma, he saw a chainsaw carving.
“I can do that,” he realized. “As a matter of fact, I think I can do better than that. So I got a seasoned log and started carving.”
He taught himself using trial and error. Most of his pieces are larger than life. He specializes in giant carvings of Sasquatch. He recently completed a 9-foot tall grizzly. He’s also carved eagles, wolves and bear cubs in various poses.
This was his first lion.
“It was a challenge,” he said. “I wanted to make it big and realistic. Most lion carvings have their mouths closed but I like to include movement instead of just a stiff statue. He looks like he’s alive up there.”
Friends and others who know about his hobby will give him large logs. He uses oak, walnut, cedar and other types of hardwoods. He’s not sure where the wood for the lion came from.
The piece should last forever with proper maintenance. Monarch crews agreed to add a sealant each year to protect against sun and water damage.
