By BRIANA HARRIS / Staff Writer

PELHAM – A husband and wife team is hosting a chainsaw carving competition Nov. 18-20 that will benefit Three Hots and a Cot, a nationwide nonprofit created by veterans to help other veterans.

Heather Bailey, who owns Woodlot Artisans with her husband Justin, said five carvers will be given a 30-inch-by-8-foot log to carve into a masterpiece. The carvers will work Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

The competition will be at Woodlot Artisans, located at 2401 State Park Road. The competition will begin at 9 a.m. each day and is open to the public.

In addition to chainsaws, participants will be allowed to use power tools like drills, grinders and sanders.

Bailey, who has 11 years of chainsaw carving experience, will judge the competition with her husband, who has six years of experience. The public will also have a say in who wins the competition.

The prize for the first and second place winners will be chainsaws donated by Pelham-based company L&S Small Engine Repair.

Bailey said quick-carve competitions will take place throughout the three-day competition. For the quick-carves, participants will have about 45 minutes to create artwork using a piece of log that is about 3 feet tall with a diameter of 12-14 inches.

The quick carves will be sold at auctions on each day of the competition and the proceeds will be donated to Three Hots and a Cot. The participants’ masterpieces will be placed in the Woodlot Artisans gallery for sale.

Bailey said chainsaw carving is a relatively unknown art form amongst the general public, but she hopes this event will help change that.

“This event allows us to help a good cause but it also helps get the word out about chainsaw carving,” Bailey said. “It’s pretty amazing what the carvers can come up with. You never know what to expect.”

Three Hots and a Cot helps homeless military veterans transition from life on the streets to a self-sustained lifestyle. It’s not a shelter, rather a program to help them regain their independence.

The organization provides temporary housing, meals, counseling, medical, dental and job placement services to help veterans transition into a stable environment.

This is the event’s inaugural year, but Bailey said she hopes it will become an annual event.
The Bailey’s business, Woodlot Artisans, works with contractors, interior designers and architects to create naturalistic construction, custom sculpture, on-site sculpture, spiral staircases, gazebos, doors, mantels, back splashes, railings and even furniture.