Two years ago, Kyle Walker was just a guy with a chainsaw and a few downed trees. Today, his yard is an outdoor gallery of towering sculptures – an enchanted forest of everything from otters to bears, owls to dragonflies, mythical creatures, and everything in between.
It all started the day he bought his home. Several trees had to come down, and as he stacked the logs, an idea hit him: What if he could turn some of this wood into something worth keeping? That spark of curiosity was just the beginning. He gathered a few carving tools, bought a couple of chainsaws, and took his first cuts. “I was naturally a bit cautious,” he laughs. “One wrong move, and my statue was good for nothing but kindling!”
Kyle didn’t have any formal carving or art experience before he put the chainsaw to the logs, but he had done a lot of carpentry like building coffee tables and displays. He had also done a little painting, so this gave him a bit of a foundation to jump into chainsaw carving.
The first carvings were rough – wobbly lines, awkward shapes – but he didn’t care. “There was something addictive about it. The smell of fresh-cut cedar, the way wood chips rained down around me, the satisfaction of seeing something emerge from a block of wood – it hooked me instantly,” Kyle says, with more than a sliver of satisfaction.
His first carvings were simple pieces such as mushrooms and snails, and he practiced on any recycled wood, like pallets and scrap lumber, and anything else he could get his hands on.
He pushed himself to try more challenging designs: larger pieces, more detail and more daring ideas. In just two years, he went from carving simple shapes to creating large-scale, intricate works that tested both his skill and his patience.
Now, Kyle’s passion has grown into something bigger than he has ever imagined. He’s developed from practicing in his driveway to creating commissioned works for businesses and private customers. Each carving, whether it’s a majestic eagle or a formidable piranha plant, tells a story of where he was in his life journey.
Right now, Kyle is deep into his most ambitious piece yet, a 10-foot-tall statue of the Egyptian god Anubis. “It’s not a commission,” Kyle explains. “It’s just for me. A personal challenge. A monument to how far I’ve come in such a short time, and a reminder that the only limits are the ones I set for myself.”
Kyle’s favourite neighbours, the Indigenous Friendship Centre, has been keeping a close eye on Kyle and his creations for the past two years. They recently asked him to create a special piece for their new location. The art piece is something like a smudging bowl, but on a much larger scale and it features the seven teachings. “I’m really excited for the chance to have this project displayed in their new space,” Kyle says with a grin, “and hopeful it opens the door to more opportunities to work with them.”
There is more to Kyle’s love for carving than chainsaws and chisels and a finished product. “More than anything, I want my two kids to see this journey and know that chasing a dream is worth it. I want them to grow up knowing they can follow their passions fearlessly – just like their father.”
“What began as a weekend experiment with a chainsaw has become a way of life,” Kyle says earnestly. “Every cut, every splinter, every cloud of sawdust in the air – it’s all part of the magic.I started this journey by removing trees, but I’ve ended up creating a forest of my own…carved from passion, one sculpture at a time.”
