Carving out a niche at the Cape Fear Fair
Photo by Matt BornRick and Sue Cox brought their woodcarving skills to the Cape Fear Fair and Expo.
By Kate Elizabeth Queram
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Though Rick Cox spends hours each day wielding a chainsaw, his biggest on-the-job scare had little to do with being sliced and diced by the churning blades.
"I carved an eagle on top of a 27-foot tree," he said. "I was standing and carving with a 36-inch chainsaw and, occasionally, they kick. If you fall, you fall, so you have to be careful."
Fortunately, the majority of Cox's work is done on solid ground. As one-half of R&S Woodcarving – the other half is his wife, Sue – Cox uses chainsaws to transform large logs and tree stumps into animals, shapes and human silhouettes.
The couple are based in Edinburg, Pa., but spend months each year traveling the country, selling their work and demonstrating their sawing prowess at fairs and craft shows. They've been a staple at the Cape Fear Fair and Expo for years, where their booth resembles a fairy-tale forest populated by black bears, owls, bearded gnomes and horses, frozen in mid-air with wild, thick manes billowing behind them.
The Coxes began their carving business nine years ago after running a mom-and-pop grocery store for more than 30 years. At first, Rick carved the pieces and Sue provided the finishing touches; things like sanding, painting and adding tiny, detailed marks to make fur or faces more realistic.
But eventually, she began carving her own works, and now they both produce pieces regularly, though their tastes vary.
"I do turtles and frogs and all those little bears," Sue said. "I like the cute."
By contrast, Rick prefers the horses. His all-time favorite piece is a 7-foot stallion standing on its hind legs, which he shaped using only a chisel and hammer.READ MORE: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20111030/ARTICLES/111039997/1177?Title=Carving-out-a-niche-at-the-Cape-Fear-Fair
"I carved an eagle on top of a 27-foot tree," he said. "I was standing and carving with a 36-inch chainsaw and, occasionally, they kick. If you fall, you fall, so you have to be careful."
Fortunately, the majority of Cox's work is done on solid ground. As one-half of R&S Woodcarving – the other half is his wife, Sue – Cox uses chainsaws to transform large logs and tree stumps into animals, shapes and human silhouettes.
The couple are based in Edinburg, Pa., but spend months each year traveling the country, selling their work and demonstrating their sawing prowess at fairs and craft shows. They've been a staple at the Cape Fear Fair and Expo for years, where their booth resembles a fairy-tale forest populated by black bears, owls, bearded gnomes and horses, frozen in mid-air with wild, thick manes billowing behind them.
The Coxes began their carving business nine years ago after running a mom-and-pop grocery store for more than 30 years. At first, Rick carved the pieces and Sue provided the finishing touches; things like sanding, painting and adding tiny, detailed marks to make fur or faces more realistic.
But eventually, she began carving her own works, and now they both produce pieces regularly, though their tastes vary.
"I do turtles and frogs and all those little bears," Sue said. "I like the cute."
By contrast, Rick prefers the horses. His all-time favorite piece is a 7-foot stallion standing on its hind legs, which he shaped using only a chisel and hammer.READ MORE: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20111030/ARTICLES/111039997/1177?Title=Carving-out-a-niche-at-the-Cape-Fear-Fair
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