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Sculptree 2010 at the Festival of the Tree
Thursday 14 July 2011
Maureen Hockley reports from the finest chainsaw carving event in the UK
1.Paul Clarke carved a pair of Otters that really came to life when he applied a dark stain to the beech
The Festival of the Tree at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, which took place Monday 23 to Monday 30 August this year, once again incorporated Sculptree - this is a part of the festival where 12 chainsaw sculptors are given a tree trunk derived directly from the arboretum, which they transform into spectacular carvings over a course of eight days. The finished carving is then auctioned off on the Bank Holiday Monday - this year, over £17,000 was raised, which will be divided between the sculptor, Westonbirt and Tree Aid.
The weather was not initially kind to the chainsaw carvers - three days of persistent rain slowed them down but it didn't stop them altogether, so by Thursday when the sun came out, their sculptures were as impressive as ever. When the crowds came in on Friday they were, as usual, amazed at how a log can be transformed into a work of art in just four days.
