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Warwick Lilley says chainsaw carving is a lot like boxing.
"People love watching it. It draws a crowd like a big fight."
The 32-year-old Rotorua carver showcases his noisy brand of art at the Great New Zealand Muster in Te Kuiti today.
Lilley has been commissioned to carve a sheepdog for the event, which is part of the three-day New Zealand Shearing Championship.
The winner of several national chainsaw carving awards, he plans to create a life-size huntaway out of a piece of redwood.
He expects the carving to take several hours, using a long blade to create the shape and a specially designed short blade to complete the shaggy dog look.
The huntaway will go on public display in Te Kuiti after the Great New Zealand Muster, which also includes a "Running of the Sheep" at 2pm.
Six truckloads of sheep - about 2000 in all - will be released into the main street so onlookers can try to guess the exact number to win prizes.
Lilley witnessed the sheep run last year and said it was hilarious.
"All the dogs came running through, too, so I thought I better shut the chainsaw off."
Lilley, who is also an arborist and built sets for the Lord of the Rings films, got into chainsaw carving eight years ago.
He says the art requires intense strength and concentration, with one slip of the blade potentially destroying a work.
"But it's a fun career because you never know who your commission will come from."
One of his carvings, a female form called Harebell, has been turned into a giant bronze at a housing development in China called Rotorua Town, and he is looking forward to carving a piece of ancient swamp kauri from Northland next month.
