The Creative Couple of Chainsaw Art G E TAWAYS
BY G E RRY MAN DE L
CLM
46
I
thought I knew what wood carving is all about: An old guy sits at a table with a knife, a chisel, some sandpaper, and carves little dogs, cats and birds from small blocks of wood. That was before I met Gered and Sonya Vinyard, a dynamic, young couple with an interesting story and impressive works of art. We met at their home in Union, Missouri, where their workshop for Black
full-time jobs and raising a family. They’ve been married 15 years and have four boys, including twins, and a 16-year-old Newfie named Izzie. During this time of sequestering, Sonya and Gered have little time to relax.
“I’ve always been interested in wood carving,” says Gered. “It started when I was about ten. I liked the idea of being able to make something out of a piece of wood.” That interest became a passion many years later, while they were living in El Paso, Texas. Gered was in the Army, stationed at Ft. Bliss at the time, following three 15-month Hearts Chainsaw Art is located. More deployments in Iraq. Sonya missed the about that name shortly. green fields and trees she had grown up Their preferred carving tool is a chainsaw. among in Shamrock, North Carolina. I saw ten well-used chainsaws on hooks in West Texas left a lot to be desired. To get their workshop, where they carve many of her “green fix,” as she calls it, they drove to their sculptures. Some of their larger pieces, Ruidoso, New Mexico for a few days. however, are created on-site, almost all at That’s where Gered came across a sculptor private residences in the St. Louis area. who had carved three bears. Gered was The Vinyards jumped into their business hooked; this is what he wanted to do. But full-time a few years ago. Before then, carvthere were a lot of miles in between those ing had been a hobby, squeezed in between
