Cabin Artist: Todd Lynd

Many cabin owners may claim to be chain saw masters, but few would rival the skills of Todd Lynd. Using nothing more than this common cabin tool, Lynd deftly carves freehand sculptures of fish, birds, ocean animals and more from treated, non-virgin timber.

From his outdoor workshop in South Carolina, Lynd adds lifelike detail to the carvings with thinned oil-based paints. He then finishes the carvings with a UV-rated interior/exterior polyurethane, so the pieces can be displayed both indoors and out.

A self-taught artist, Lynd has been sculpting professionally since 1992, when he quit his job as a horseback riding tour guide in Montana to pursue his passion full time.

As a child, Lynd says that he was always in the woods, watching and learning from nature and building and creating things in the outdoors. Lynd is still fascinated by the relationships he observes in nature, and his love of the outdoors inspires his work.

“I try to bring the feel of the outdoors and the essence of wildlife and nature into each piece,” says Lynd. “There is something magical to me in bringing out the shape, feel and expression of an individual species in the wood. It is really a symbiotic relationship. The chain saw becomes more like a paintbrush to me.”

Lynd has also used his trusty chain saw to build himself three different log cabins to live in. “I can’t imagine living any other way,” he says. “There is something about the wood holding energy that gives the cabin a life of its own.”

When he’s not carving, Lynd uses recycled plastics to create colorful, hand-spun vases that resemble blown glass with coral reef designs. For more on his work, visit www.oceanartsgallery.com.


Here's a video of Lynd's carving process.