I just had to know more about Cherie and her chainsaw carving, so I contacted her and asked if she would answer a few questions for me.
Lorrie: How did you get started in chainsaw carving?
Cherie: It was a natural progression really. I started as a sketch artist, went to painting and one day I was looking at a steer skull I'd painted on a table top and I just wanted to carve it out.. what you would call 'relief' carving. Since the table was oak I decided to buy a pine table top. I sketched a desert scene and carved it out with a dremal, stained and painted it. I thought it was fantastic! I continued doing different designs but found they were so time consuming. Then one day I was traveling to Malibu and came across a couple of guys chainsaw carving on the side of the road. I went into their gallery and saw these wonderful mermaids, tiki's, bears and thought 'I can do this'. I showed my tables to Rio, the man that owned the gallery and asked if he would take me on. He said yes! I started right away but realized that you really can't teach someone how to chainsaw carve. He taught me how to not kill myself with the saw but if I couldn't see the 'piece' I was carving in the wood, I couldn't do it.
I was lucky. It came fairly easy.
Lorrie: Does chainsaw carving require any special training?
Cherie: Just a creative mind and a fearless heart. Protective gear is the most important. Make sure you use the right tools properly and never take risks. Chainsaws are powerful and dangerous tools. You need to be prepared at all times for something to go wrong. Grinders are even more dangerous. Even the most skilled can get hurt. Take your time, be careful and never carve alone if you can help it.
Lorrie: Do you think that being a well-known singer and musician has any impact on your career as an artist?
Cherie: Not yet! Most people don't recognize me or even know I had a career in show business. I make art they like and that has mattered the most to me.
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