When Angie Polglaze first decided to take up chainsaw sculpting 20 years ago, her art school teachers told her it was impossible.
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So she did it anyway.
“I was terrified, naturally. I’d never held a chainsaw before and here I was holding one for the first time at 27 years old,” Ms Polglaze said.
“I was at art school and I was experimenting with different tools.”
Ms Polglaze said chainsaw sculpting was very big in the northern hemisphere but was mainly a niche market down under.
She said chainsawing in Australia was regarded as a “man’s thing” but women overseas were encouraged to “just go for it”.
However, she said she was lucky to have earned a living from chainsaw sculpting for the past 20 years.
“I’ve travelled all over the world ….doing something I love.”
Ms Polglaze said she loved that her work was both “independent and mobile” and she was able to carve works of art quite quickly before painting them as well.
“It keeps me fit, it keeps me strong. And you’ve got to be a bit of a showoff to do it.”
The chainsaw sculptor was one of the main attractions of the 32nd Ballarat Woodworkers Guild Wood and Craft Show at the Dowling Street Ballarat Exhibition Centre at the weekend.
Wood Show Commitee chairman George Davis said 60 stallholders attended this year’s event from all over Australia, with about 1200 people expected through the doors over the two days.