Artist's corner: Todd Coats

Name: Todd Coats

City: Yellow Bay

Medium of choice: Ponderosa Pine

Gallery where people can find your work: Papa’s Market, Woods Bay

Q: How did you get started?

A: I was an artist that did paintings and drawings and portraits of people … and a guy asked me to carve a nine foot tall bear. I did it on the highway going in to Kalispell 30 years ago.

Q: What has inspired you recently?

A: In the last few years I’ve started doing these chainsaw carving competitions. Competing with the guys that are the world’s best is kind of inspirational. It makes you step up your game a little bit and you learn a lot from them.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I’ve done so many over 30 years it’s really hard to pick one out. I do these pieces in the competitions and they’re kind of rush jobs because you gave to do them in a certain amount of time …. a lot of those come out really neat. I do so many bears. Everyone wants a bear. I’m kind of a specialists in bears … My favorite is when somebody asks me something different that’s unique.

Q: What do you enjoy the most about chainsaw caring?

A: I think the outdoors part of it. You get to do artwork, you get be outside. Not so much this time of year, but in the summertime it’s great.

Q: What is your next big project or focus?

A: I’m making Christmas orders right now. I have a job coming up on the golf course over in Pablo. It’s called Silver Fox Golf Course … I’ll be carving some silver foxes in one of the trees on the course … And I’ve got a big buffalo skull I’ve got to carve for a school down in Avon.