Wanna Buy a Bear?

GRAND GORGE — If Joe Penner had lived in Grand Gorge, or almost any place from Windham to Oneonta, he would have been saying, "Wanna buy a bear?" rather than a duck. Here, there are a number of wooden bears, likely because there are a lot of flesh and fur bears in our mountains. As I pay an unexpected call on Michael Halterman, he calls up to me from his trailer set down about ten feet below the road. "You here about the Sasquatch?" A thought crosses my mind that I may have another, even more newsworthy story here. But, no, a customer has reneged on an agreement to see him about carving a large wooden American Yeti. I'd met Mike a year or so ago, and have been meaning to reintroduce myself. This seems like a good week to do just that.

Chainsaw sculpting is one of those arts natural to the Catskills. After all, when a dead tree has to come down, you can either burn the wood in the winter or make the wood into something to put food on the table. In the 1950's, this artform grew out of the manufacture of smaller lighter chainsaws. It isn't just a matter of knocking down a tree and trimming away all the parts which don't look like your mental image of the finished piece. The wood changes for a good while after cutting down a tree. The sap, the glue that binds the wood fibers together, crystallizes, Mike tells me. The log becomes like a sponge and then the wood begins to crack. Even an experienced carver can know the heartbreak of a piece drying and splitting and the artist needs to decide if the resulting piece can be saved, turned into a two dimensional plaque or heat his home come winter.

Mike does carve bears, really beautiful bears with a chainsaw. But, this is only the start of what he can do with one of his several Stihl gas saws. Many will recall the mermaid standing unabashed by the road side, as your vehicle climbs to the crest of State Highway 30, heading out of town from Grand Gorge towards Middleburgh. Next to her was a life-like buck with delicately carved antlers, which once had been the trunk of a White Pine tree. The Mermaid was lured away to sun and fun in Florida, leaving Mike five hundred dollars richer. Considering the time and work, his patrons are purchasing his work for truly reasonable prices. In this case, the not very little mermaid was loaded into a visiting lady's very little car, lying across the back seats for the journey South. 

Our "Michelangelo of the mountains" starts with a heavy medium. His White Pine logs are lighter than Carrara Marble. However, when you are a one man workshop, tilting up a 3,000 pound log on end to work on is daunting. But once in position to be carved, Mike sees the finished scene in his mind's eye. In 3,000 pounds of white pine, he sees a mountain lion, curving down as her cubs reach up to her, and one is getting a swat from her.

He also sees his pieces in his sleep. One such example is Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. The face and form came to him as he slept. The priest who commissioned the work said he captured the priest's intention perfectly, without being told. If you find yourself in Middleburgh, find his statue of this first Indian Saint in America, "the Lily of the Mohawks." It is to the side of Our Lady of the Valley Roman Catholic Church, Main Street and Wells. Unfortunately, there were several changes of priests after the statue was delivered, so the promised plaque with Mike's name was never created for the piece. As a result, it is hard to find the artist's name online connected to this piece. If you are reading this, Father, it would be nice if miraculously, a small plaque or sign might appear in context with the work. Mike says how much he appreciates that the church takes care of the piece. Outdoor wooden sculpture must be taken care of to ensure it has a long life. It takes recoating it with marine varnish and it will last years. Kateri Tekakwitha has been standing between two benches, a lovely peaceful place for nearly ten years.

Mike's journey as a wood carver began thirty one years ago, while living in Sacandaga Lake. In the Mohawk language,Sacandaga means the place of waving grass. Gently waving grass and exceptional views doesn't often put food on the table or gas in the engine. One hard winter, Mike found himself at the hardware store in Northville. He was asking a friend if he knew of any work. The guy behind him asked if he could fix machinery. That was the beginning of a friendship and education in turning dead trees into living art. He was fortunate, the man standing behind him was the well known rustic furniture maker and wood artist Pete Winter. Winter has had his work in the Adirondack Experience (ADKX) museum, and is currently part of a show this season. Mike borrowed a little fourteen inch "Eager Beaver" saw from his Aunt and in ten degree weather, began carving.

Most of the work is done by one of three chain saws. But when another tool will do a better job, Mike will use a sander or a dremel, especially when setting the realistic glass eyes into a piece.

We need to support local artists and artisans like Mike Halterman. Having folks like Mike working on the side of the road is the kind of thing that brings tourists to the Catskills and all the businesses here profit by that. Mike does do special orders. The patron must have half the price up front and the piece will be ready in two to three weeks for most pieces. Brighten up your yard or your den, your tavern or your bank lobby. Call Mike Halterman 518 478 5230.