If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll know that I recently participated in the 2025 Blockhausen Cup (formerly Huskycup). I’ve taken part in several Blockhausen events over the years, and it’s always a great couple of weeks. There’s always a fantastic atmosphere and sense of community, whether carving or relaxing at the end of the day. One of the things that makes Blockhausen a bit different from other events is that it’s a team event. This means collaborating on your sculpture with other chainsaw carvers. It’s a different experience from carving solo, so with this year’s competition fresh in my memory, I thought I’d share some tips for successful collaborative chainsaw carving sculptures…
ABOUT THIS YEAR’S EVENT…
Before I jump into some tips based on this year’s competition, let me fill you in on some details…
The theme this year was The Battle of Little Bighorn, and each team had to create a rider on horseback as part of their entry. I was partnered with Michael Tamoszus (Germany) and Norbert Varga (Hungary) as part of one of the European teams. The whole event was two weeks long from initial meeting to judging, and all the pieces remain on site as part of Blockhausen’s impressive collection of sculptures.
So, once put into teams, how do we go about creating successful chainsaw carving sculptures?
FLEXIBLE PLANNING
My first tip for successful collaborative chainsaw carving sculptures is to plan, but stay flexible. In this case, the three of us were in contact before the event and discussed the design loosely. However, as with any competition, we didn’t know what size logs we would have, so it needed to be adaptable. Michael and I chose the wood together – it’s great to have two minds checking out the options and finding suitable pieces. Andreas Martin (organiser) had sourced LOTS of good oak, so there was a good choice.
We chose our wood based on the largest diameter needed and worked our way down, planning/firming up the construction as we chose the logs.
PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS
To create successful collaborative chainsaw carving sculptures, you need to play to your strengths.
Initially, all three of us were going to work on the horse and rider. However, with the pose we decided on, it was easier with only two people. Michael and I are the more experienced carvers, and we’ve worked on a horse and rider together before, so it made sense for us to work on that. We decided Norbert would work on a wounded soldier, and because it was a collaboration, agreed the pose together. He finished early and brought the idea of a native seemingly offering a helping hand, but concealing a knife behind his back. It’s great when you can incorporate each other’s ideas, but definitely communicate so you achieve a cohesive look.
That said, there may be limitations that impact that, and for a successful collaboration, you need to accept those limitations. Otherwise, you can use a lot of time and energy pursuing things that will just leave you frustrated. For us, that limitation was language. Whilst there are translation apps available, they aren’t ideal, and we found there were subtleties and nuances in the design/style that we weren’t easily able to communicate. It meant the final look was a little disjointed, but it still worked.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
That leads me to my next tip for successfull collabs with other artists: effective communication.
I frequently work on sculptures with Paul Edwards, a chainsaw carver who started as my apprentice. After his apprenticeship, he became my assistant and now carves in his own right as part of “Studio O’Rourke”. Years of working together mean we have honed a way of communicating, and we both wear the Stihl ProCom when we carve so we can talk whilst the chainsaws are going. This make collaboration easy, but we don’t always have the benefits of familiarity and a proCom!
We relied on translation apps during Blockhausen – as well as Tamoszus’ language skills and my dodgy German!!!! It’s super important for health and safety that you plan and communicate clearly where on the sculpture you’ll each be working so you don’t injure each other with the saw. You also need to keep on top of the design’s progress. As conversation was sometimes tricky, I kept updating the design by taking photos of the timber and drawing over it (see photos below). A simple but effective way of keeping on track.
SUPPORT EACH OTHER
Carving teams work best together when you support each other practically. Are you going to refill your water bottle or grab a coffee? Bring a drink back for your teammate too! Team mate forgot a tool? Lend them yours! Not only is this more efficient, but it also helps create a sense of being a team, which means you’ll work and communicate better. One of the nice things about Blockhausen is that cameraderie extends beyond your own team. I’d actually forgotten a few key pieces of kit, and although it’s a competition, other teams were happy to lend me tools if Norbert and Michael didn’t have what I needed.
GIVE IT YOUR BEST!
The last couple of tips for successful collabs should go without saying really. Have fun, be willing to give and accept constructive critique, and give it your best! An international collab can come with its challenges, but the positives far outweigh the challenges. The amount you can achieve is HUGE compared to doing it alone, you get the benefit of all your years of experience and ideas, and it’s REALLY satisfying when it works. In the words of The A Team’s Hannible “I love it when a plan comes together”!
Before I finish, I do need to thank Norbert and Varga for being great team mates, Andreas Martin for organising another brilliant event, and Mario Hamburg for the fantastic photos (you’ll spot them with the watermark). I can always relax at Blockhausen and put my phone down, knowing he’ll capture some fantastic shots!
Have you ever taken part in a team competition? What are your tips? Drop a comment below.
And if you would like to commission a sculpture, fill out the form at www.treecarving.co.uk/contact
