1 February, 2023
Chainsaw artist ready for next challenge
Caboolture-based chainsaw artist Luke Sheehan is undertaking his next monument, a life-sized sculpture of Australian country musician Chad Morgan.
Having recently finished carving a yowie for the Advancetown Hotel Motel, Luke has followed up with the Chad Morgan project while he juggles commitments as a personal trainer, boxing coach, musician and family man.
“I just chip away,” he said.
“I do a little bit here, a little bit there.
“I try not to rush it, but I’ll give myself a couple of weeks.”
The Chad Morgan sculpture will be a tourist attraction in the town of Childers, with the monument to be unveiled sometime in the next few months at the Isis Club.
Chad, who turns 90 on February 11, began his career as a cane cutter in Childers.
Luke said he had spoken to Chad about how to best depict him, and it was decided to have him holding a cane knife in one hand and a guitar in the other.
The Chad Morgan sculpture has been commissioned by Childers resident Errol Davidson, while there have been donations and a fundraiser in Childers to support Luke’s project.
Luke’s first carving was a goanna in 2010, and since then his projects have included kangaroos, eagles and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
The Caboolture artist’s work has appeared in locations such as child care centres, schools, parks and private residences, and he has participated in a range of shows, markets and festivals.
During live demonstrations, Luke has carved out items in the space of anything from four to eight hours.
At a show in Inglewood, Luke carved a dolphin, a kookaburra and a wombat in one day before carving a giant pelican the next day.
At the Linville Heritage Festival just over a year ago, Luke carved a deer for the Linville community garden.
At the following year’s Linville Heritage Festival, he carved a Hereford bull.
Luke said that “like most entertainers”, it was a bit nerve-wracking the first time he undertook his artwork in front of a crowd.
“You’ve got to be focused on what you’re doing,” he said.
“You’re taking pieces of wood away, and you’re in your own element, your own bubble.”
Luke said it was hard to compare his various pieces of art, as they were all individual.
“You can do 10 of the same monument, and there will always be one that’s just that little bit better, possibly because of wood grain being shaped a bit better,” he said.
“You need to manipulate it, which changes the proportions of the carvings.
“It’s what makes it.”
With his chainsaw equipped with a carving bar, Luke said he was able to do “the finer detail”.
Luke developed his passion for artwork involving a chainsaw during his childhood as his dad Rod was one of the pioneers of chainsaw artwork in Australia.
Rod’s major pieces included the Great Eagle in Rosedale and the Big Cassowary in Tully.
