Chainsaw carving is an up and coming art form throughout the world; however, it is not a particularly new concept. The first recorded artist was Ray Murphy who, around 1952, began using his father's chainsaw to carve names and messages to his brother in firewood. Murphy has continued to cultivate his craft for the last 58 years, and still performs his "Chainsaw Sawyer Artist Live Show" during the summers near his home in Maine.

Always looking for new and more unique ways to express himself in his craft, he has made more than 50,000 carved wooden works of art. Some of these include the usual subjects: eagles, bears, moose, squirrels, fish and other wildlife. However, Murphy does not stop there. During his performances, he regularly carves wooden chairs in less than ten seconds, carves names onto pencils which he then sharpens, and even carves up to 16 numbers on a toothpick- all using only a chainsaw.

Since this hobby's inception back in the 1950's, it has evolved over time. Starting around the 1960's many equipment dealers would host simple carving demonstrations at forestry expos and state fairs to illustrate the ease of use of their particular product. During the 1980's this unique hobby received increased attention after an exhibition at the Lumberjack World Championships, which was broadcast throughout the United States. Today, many new artists use the chainsaw primarily as a pre-carving tool, and finish their sculpture with smaller power carving tools and sanders. This results in a sanded wood carving which typically has more detail than a piece of true "chainsaw art" made using only a chainsaw. Finished pieces are often admired and used to accentuate museums, offices, homes and street corners across the country.

Over the years, as this hobby has grown in popularity, additional mediums for carving have also been introduced. The original and traditional medium is, of course, wood; however, ice has become a very popular medium for this art as well. Despite the fact that sculptures created using ice are not long-lasting, they are beautiful centerpieces for buffets at weddings or other social gatherings.

Although chainsaw carving can be a fun hobby or profitable business, it is a difficult and dangerous task to wield a motorized tool, removing wood or ice to reveal an image of beauty emerging from the trunk of a tree or a large block of ice. Despite the fact that these carvings can vary in their exact creation method or medium, and will range from crude images to highly detailed sculptures, they are all fine works of art.